Sitar

And speaking of Ravi Shankar, which I was yesterday, we come to the sitar, an instrument made world-famous by this musician.

Sitar photo left from Pakrashi Harmonium.

The sitar is believed to have developed in the 1700s when the Mughal (Moghul) Empire was collapsing. According to Yellow Bell Music, it has Persian and South Indian influences, and uses the resonant bridge of an instrument called the Tampura.