The pungi, also called the been, and murli are wind instruments played by snake charmers in the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a mouth-blown air reservoir, made from a gourd, which channels air into two reedpipes. The pungi is played with no pauses as the player employs circular breathing. The pungi originated in India and is still played by snake charmers in street performances.
The pungi is traditionally made from a dried bottle gourd. Often, the neck of the gourd is carved for aesthetic reasons. On the other end, two reed or bamboo pipes are connected. These are known as the jivala. One of the pipes has 5 - 9 holes and plays the melody; the other pipe is for drone. The jivala is fitted to the gourd with beeswax, which can be adjusted for pitch modification. The pungi is typically one to two feet in length.
The Murli is a typical folk musical instrument. The Murli musical instrument is mostly played by cobra charmers in SindhPakistan including Rajasthan. The Murli instrument is made from a gourd. It is also mentioned as a double-reed instrument. The Murli is played by Jogi or Jogis in streets of every city, Thar desert and in whole Sindh yet.
Introduction
The Murli is a typical musical instrument played by Jogis or cobra charmers, and traditional/folk musicians with musical melodies. The Murli was theorised to put people into half-conscious states, as a part of religious practice, and not just for snake charming. The pitch of the Murli is high and thin in tone or a continuous low humming sound and an almost fast tone for tune or melody.
Construction
The Pungi is constructed from a solid cover of coconut by fitting pieces of bamboo in it. Pungi is particularly played by snake charmers to involve snakes for dancing mostly in Terai regions, Nepal. The Murli instrument has two components. The first part is constructed from a dry and swollen gourd that is hollowed. The second part is made from two jointed double reed pipes that have holes. The reed portion of the Murli often has eight holes but in some areas of Sindh, Pakistan it has an extra hole in the right pipe. One of the two reed pipes is for playing a hum and the second is for creating a melody.
Its major use was to entertain the public for snake charming which was eventually banned throughout in the country under The Wildlife Act 1972 in 1991.
