Sarangi

In both Hindustani Classical music and folk music, the Sarangi is valued as the only string instrument that comes closest to the human voice. Originating in the northwestern region of India, the Sarangi, a bowed instrument, was initially used for folk and religious music. The Sarangi emerged on the classical scene only in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. This was partly due to the waning popularity of the dhrupad style in the seventeenth century and the gradual advent of the khayal form.