Alapini veena

The ālāpiṇī vīṇā was a medieval stick-zither veena in India, with a single string and a gourd resonator.

Whatever the origins, Indian influence on musical culture in Southeast Asia is recorded in the archaeological remains of past civilizations.

[3][1][4] Similar instruments today include the Cambodian kse diev and Thai phin namtao.

Iconography can't show whether the rods or bodies are hollow, and researchers have had to look for clues in literature.

[6] Instruments labeled ālāpiṇī vīṇā tend to be stick zithers, held shoulder to hip with a gourd resonator that is pressed into the musician's stomach, chest or shoulder, the musician's upper hand normally held over that gourd with fingers wide to choose notes, the lower hand plucking the string.

Patrick Kersale identified two at the Bayon temple in Angkor, Cambodia, from the 13th century circus scene.

[6] Based on definitions from Indian literature, the unifying criterion is that both have a single string and a gourd resonator.

The gourd on the ālāpiṇī vīṇā was cut to form a cup or bowl, the opening of which could be placed against the musician's body while playing, creating a "closed resonance chamber".

On the eka-tantrī vīṇā and later Kinarri vina the gourd (bottom intact) used for the resonance chamber rested over the musician's shoulder.

These latter two might have a second or third gourd added further down, creating the modern kinarri vina and rudra veena[3] Different symbolism appears on the instruments over time.

[6] Shiva has been portrayed playing it romantically for Paravati, and as an ascetic, Natajara, in his form as the divine dancer.

Modern instruments related to it or using a similar half-gourd resonance system include the Cambodian kse diev, Thai phin namtao and Indian tuila (among tribes in Jharkhand and Odisha).

[3][1] These instruments have different features; some like the kse muoy have an extra gourd or the phin namtoa multiple strings.

[1] At least one example of the chest-pressed Southeast Asian zithers has bee-n found in artwork with a second gourd, in Bayon.

14th century A.D. Saraswati playing a likely Alapini veena at the Hoysaleswara Temple .
17th century sculpture of a rudra veena that has a figure carved into the vina's tube, just below the upper gourd. The carving resembles a crocodile, in a style similar to that on the Malayan kundu drum. The crocodile was called a makara in Hindi. One early vina was called the makara vina.