The Kingri is closely associated with the oral tradition of the Pardhan bards. For generations, Pardhans have served Raj Gond communities as bards and genealogists, transmitting myths, genealogies, stories and accounts of Gond rulers and heroes through oral performance. The Kingri is one of the principal instruments associated with this tradition.
Ethnographic descriptions of the Adilabad-region Kingri portray it as a simple, distinctive string instrument with three strings and a bow. Traditional descriptions record horse hair being used for the strings and bow hair. Its wooden sound box, covered with a stretched skin membrane, helps produce the instrument's characteristic resonant tone.
The instrument has historically accompanied Pardhan performances at marriages, death ceremonies, religious observances and other important community occasions. Its significance therefore lies not simply in its musical construction but in its connection with the hereditary bardic role of the Pardhan within Gond society.
What is a Kingri? – Anatomy of the Instrument
The Kingri is a simple but specialised traditional string instrument associated with Pardhan bardic performance. Ethnographic descriptions of the Adilabad-region form record the following characteristics:
- Strings: The Kingri is described as having three strings. Traditional descriptions identify horse hair as the material used for the strings.
- Bow: The bow is traditionally strung with horse hair, which is used to excite the playing strings.
- Sound box: Historical descriptions identify a square wooden sound box covered by a stretched skin membrane, providing resonance.
- Playing style: The instrument is bowed while the Pardhan sings or recites traditional narratives, genealogies and stories.
- Companion instrument: Pardhan musical traditions also include the bana, another traditional string instrument.
Ethnographic accounts also describe an arrangement in which the more senior Pardhan plays the Kingri during major festivals while younger performers may accompany him with drums, trumpets or other instruments. Such descriptions reflect particular historical observations and should not be assumed to describe every contemporary performance.
Historical & Literary References
The history of the name Kingri is broader and more complicated than the history of the particular Pardhan instrument found in northern Telangana. Similar names have been used for different string instruments in different parts of India.
- Ancient Indian musical traditions: The name Kingri and related names have been associated in secondary literature with older Indian string-instrument traditions. However, the identification of the modern Pardhan Kingri specifically with an instrument mentioned in the Mahabharata is not firmly established.
- Ethnographic literature: Colonial and twentieth-century ethnographers recorded several forms of kingri, kinkri and related instruments among communities of central India. These descriptions demonstrate that the name was applied to more than one instrument form.
- Central Indian traditions: Variants of the Kingri and similarly named bowed instruments have been documented outside northern Telangana, particularly in central Indian tribal and folk traditions.
- Telangana and Maharashtra: The Pardhan tradition of the Adilabad region connects the Kingri particularly with Gond oral history, ritual performance and bardic storytelling.
These references should therefore be understood as evidence of a wider family of similarly named Indian string instruments rather than proof that every historical reference describes the same instrument or an uninterrupted musical lineage.
The Pardhans – Bards, Genealogists, and Ritual Specialists of the Gonds
Among the tribal communities of the Adilabad region, the Pardhans have historically occupied an important cultural position in relation to the Raj Gonds. Their roles have included bardic performance, genealogy, storytelling and participation in religious and life-cycle ceremonies.
The 1921 Hyderabad Census recorded 416 Pardhans in Adilabad district. Historical census figures for tribal communities have been subject to inconsistencies and should be treated as historical records rather than modern population estimates.
- Genealogists and bards: Pardhans have traditionally served Raj Gond communities by singing the exploits and deeds of Gond rulers and heroes and preserving genealogical traditions.
- Preservers of oral history: Their songs, stories, myths and genealogical traditions constitute an important oral source for the transmission of Gond history and cultural knowledge.
- Cultural specialists: Ethnographic literature describes Pardhans as occupying specialised cultural roles within Gond society, including musical and ritual functions.
- Religious functions: Pardhans have historically participated in Gond religious ceremonies and worship traditions associated with deities including Persa Pen.
Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf's ethnographic observations placed particular emphasis on the Pardhan's ritual importance. He reported that among the Raj Gonds he studied, a Pardhan was required for important marriage and death ceremonies. This observation concerns the Pardhan's social and ritual role; it should not be interpreted as evidence that the physical presence of the Kingri itself was universally mandatory at every ceremony.
Scholarly Debate – Priests, Musicians, or Both?
Ethnographers have differed in how they classify the Pardhan's position within Gond society. The historical literature does not provide a single uncontested description.
- Haimendorf's observations: Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf emphasised the importance of the Pardhan in Raj Gond marriage and death rituals and described circumstances in which the Pardhan's participation was regarded as essential.
- R. V. Russell's description: Russell described Pardhans in relation to the Gonds primarily through their bardic and musical functions and discussed the distinction between those functions and priestly ritual authority.
The evidence therefore supports describing the Pardhans as bards, genealogists and ritual specialists, while recognising that ethnographers have differed over whether their role should specifically be classified as priestly.
The Kingri at Keslapur – Nagoba Bhidi Recitals
One of the best-documented contemporary settings for the Kingri is the annual Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur in Indervelli mandal of Adilabad district, the principal festival of the Mesram clan of Raj Gonds.
Mesram Tukdoji, a Pardhan bard, has been documented performing the Nagoba Bhidi, the oral narrative concerning the serpent deity Nagoba. The performance is traditionally associated with the period immediately preceding the Mahapuja and has been reported as taking place for four nights, accompanied by the Kingri.
The Nagoba Bhidi provides a particularly clear contemporary example of the connection between the Kingri, Pardhan bardic performance and Mesram Gond religious tradition. The performance combines oral narrative, music and ritual memory rather than functioning simply as an instrumental concert.
The Tradition Today – A Changing Bardic Tradition
The Kingri tradition forms part of a hereditary Pardhan bardic culture that has faced challenges as social and economic conditions have changed. Contemporary accounts have reported that some younger Pardhan Adivasis are moving away from traditional bardic occupations toward other livelihoods.
This change can affect the transmission of specialised knowledge required to maintain the repertoire of songs, stories, genealogies and ritual performances associated with the Kingri.
- Changing livelihoods: Younger members of the community may pursue occupations outside the traditional hereditary bardic role.
- Changing patronage: Traditional relationships between hereditary bards and Gond communities have changed as social life has modernised.
- Transmission of oral knowledge: Much of the repertoire depends on direct oral transmission between generations.
- Continuing ritual performance: At the same time, Pardhan performers continue to participate in important cultural events, including the Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur.
The continued performance of the Nagoba Bhidi demonstrates that the tradition remains active in at least some important ceremonial settings, even as the broader hereditary bardic system undergoes change.
Why the Kingri Matters – Musical and Cultural Significance
The cultural significance of the Kingri comes from its close relationship with Pardhan oral performance and Gond cultural memory. It represents:
- A bardic instrument: The Kingri accompanies Pardhan singing, storytelling and the transmission of traditional narratives.
- An oral archive: Pardhan performances preserve myths, genealogies, stories and cultural knowledge through oral transmission.
- A ritual association: Historical ethnographic accounts connect the Kingri and Pardhan performers with Persa Pen rites, marriages, death ceremonies and religious festivals.
- A marker of Pardhan identity: Historical ethnographic descriptions identify the Kingri as an important possession associated with the Pardhan bardic role.
- A distinctive construction: The traditional northern Telangana form is notable for its three-string construction, horse-hair strings and horse-hair bow.
Experience the Tradition – Where to Hear the Kingri
The most clearly documented contemporary opportunity to hear the Kingri in its traditional Pardhan context is the Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur.
- Nagoba Jatara, Keslapur: During the annual Mesram clan festival, Pardhan bard Mesram Tukdoji has been documented performing the Nagoba Bhidi accompanied by the Kingri for four nights before the Mahapuja.
Other festivals across northern Telangana involve Pardhan participation, but the specific use of the Kingri should not be assumed without documentation for each individual event.
Visitors should respect local customs and seek permission before recording or photographing performers, particularly during ritual portions of a ceremony.
Explore the Region – Tribal Heartland
Frequently Asked Questions
What is unique about the Kingri's strings?
The Kingri is a traditional three-stringed instrument associated with
Pardhan bards. Ethnographic descriptions of the northern Telangana form
report horse-hair strings and a horse-hair bow.
Who plays the Kingri?
It is particularly associated with Pardhan bards, genealogists and
traditional ritual specialists who have historically served Raj Gond
communities in northern Telangana and adjoining areas.
When is the Kingri played?
Historical ethnographic accounts associate the Kingri with Pardhan
bardic performances, Persa Pen rites, marriages, death ceremonies and
religious festivals. A well-documented contemporary setting is the
Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur, where the Nagoba Bhidi is performed before
the Mahapuja.
Is the Kingri mentioned in ancient texts?
The name Kingri and related names have been associated in secondary
literature with older Indian musical traditions. However, the identification
of the specific modern Pardhan Kingri of northern Telangana with an instrument
mentioned in the Mahabharata is not firmly established.
What is the Nagoba Bhidi?
It is an oral narrative concerning Nagoba, the serpent deity revered by
the Mesram clan of Raj Gonds. Pardhan bard Mesram Tukdoji
has been documented performing the narrative with the Kingri at the
Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur.
Is the tradition declining?
Contemporary accounts have reported challenges to the hereditary Pardhan
bardic tradition as younger members move toward other livelihoods.
At the same time, performers continue to transmit traditions such as
the Nagoba Bhidi at Keslapur.
References & Further Reading
- The Hindu – "Simply out of this world" – reporting on Mesram Tukdoji, the Kingri and the Nagoba Jatara.
- Wikipedia – Pardhan community – useful as a general reference, but secondary and best checked against ethnographic and government sources.
- Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, Tribal Hyderabad and The Gonds of Andhra Pradesh.
- R. V. Russell, The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India.
- Telangana Tourism – official tourism information.