Rudra Veena Player Jyoti Hegde Selected For Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Musician Jyoti Hegde has been selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her dedication to the rudra veena, bringing national recognition to the rare ancient instrument. While Saraswati veena performances are a frequent sight in Bengaluru, concerts featuring the Hindustani rudra veena remain rare on the city's stages.

Hegde, who first felt drawn to the rudra veena as a 16-year-old college student learning the sitar, expressed that she felt greater joy for the recognition given to the instrument than for her individual honor. She noted that she hopes the award will bring long-overdue attention to the rudra veena and help preserve its traditional repertoire.

In modern classical music, Hegde is widely considered the first woman to perform the rudra veena professionally. Historically, superstitions—including beliefs that the physical stature and weight of the instrument would negatively affect fertility—deterred women from picking it up.

Hegde recalled encountering skepticism from her teachers when she began learning. All three of her gurus initially warned her that she would not be able to play the rudra veena because of her gender. To prove that women possess the physical and mental ability to master the instrument, Hegde practiced for 10 hours a day, compared to the three hours practiced by her peers.

Explaining the history of the instrument, Hegde highlighted its spiritual roots as a dhrupad instrument originally played during Vedic recitations and in temples. It later transitioned into a darbar instrument during the Mughal era as players adapted to entertain royal courts, eventually leading to the development of other string instruments.

To ensure the survival of the art form, Hegde currently operates Veenagram, a farmhouse-turned-gurukul located in Sirsi. She teaches over 60 residential students at the site, advocating for immersive, full-time training living alongside a guru over online or short-term courses to pass down the complete artistic lifestyle.