Dotara

Lore & Background

The dotara is made from neem or other hardwood, with an elongated, roundish belly for a soundbox that tapers to a narrow neck ending in a peg box, often carved as a peacock-head, swan-head, or other animal motif. The fingerboard is fretless and made of brass or steel, similar to a sarod. The soundbox is covered with tightly stretched kidskin or lizard-skin, as in a rabaab or sarod. The instrument is played in an open note combination, often alongside folk percussive instruments such as dhol, khol, or mandira.

Reader's Guide

The dotara holds significance as a traditional folk instrument of South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh and eastern India. Its mention in the 14th-century Saptakanda Ramayana by Assamese poet Madhava Kandali indicates its long history. The instrument was later adopted by the Baul and Fakir ascetic cults, becoming central to their devotional music. Today, it is also used to play Hindustani Classical Ragas. The dotara's construction, with a rounded soundbox and skin-covered face, gives it a resonant and projective sound. Its tuning, typically Pa-Sa-Sa-Ma (with Sa as the tonic), allows for melodic expression. The instrument's name, meaning 'two strings,' reflects its original form, though modern versions often have four playing strings, similar to the sarod.

Did You Know?

• The national instrument of Bangladesh is the ektara, not the dotara.
• The dotara's mention in the 14th-century Saptakanda Ramayana is unsubstantiated.
• The instrument's name comes from Eastern Indo-Aryan 'do târ,' meaning 'two strings.'
• The dotara is tuned (from top to bottom) as Soh-Do-Do-Fah, or Pa-Sa-Sa-Ma in Indian notation.