The Saraswati Veena is nearly about four feet in length and consists of a big round resonator that is carved out of hollow log and Jack wood. It has a hollow neck (fret board) that is lined with 24 brass frets, set in black wax on wooden tracks. At the tapering end of the neck is a tuning box that concludes in a downward curve and a beautifully carved dragon's head.

It is an extra resonator either made of gourd or a thin sheet of tin whic is called surakkai. All the strings are tied to the string holder, called nagapasha, situated at the lower end of the veena and on the side of the resonator. The strings have spring-type wire knobs movable for minute adjustments called langars. On the soundboard, the covering of the resonator, two sound holes are made. These are called nadarandhra.

These are standard pegs and will require fitting to your individual instrument. Before you can play, the veena must be tuned. Coarse tuning of the melodic and drone strings is controlled by the rotation of large wooden pegs. Finer tuning of the strings on the main bridge is controlled using miniature tension controls, which also serve to attach the strings to the body of the instrument.To tune the veena, stand it upright on the large toomba. As you face the neck there are 7 tuning pegs, 5 to the left and 2 to the right.

Made of combination of Honey Wax,Charcoal powder and Brass Fretts.Mela setting is done by experts who have musical knowledge and it takes about 3 day to make a mela. The melam is carved and polished after setting the frets. Slope in the melam to enable the adjacent frets not to touch the string while playing.

Four main playing strings tuned to the tonic and the fifth in two octaves (for example, B flat-E flat below bass clef - B flat- E flat in bass clef) stretch from fine tuning connectors attached to the end of the resonator across the bridge and above the fretboard to four large-headed pegs in the tuning box. Three subsidiary drone strings tuned to the tonic, fifth, and upper tonic (E flat - B flat- E flat in the tuning given above) cross a curving side bridge leaning against the main bridge, and stretch on the player's side of the neck to three pegs matching those of the main playing strings. All seven strings today are of steel, with the lower strings either solid thick.

The main bridge is a flat bar made of brass. This bar has a very slight curve. It is this light curve which gives the veena its characteristic sound. it is believed that the bridge constitue Goddessess Lakshmi

Instruments are made from wood of Jackfruit tree, in quite a round body shape. The skilled art of veena making is made on the single block of wood. The better quality ones have the entire instrument (body plus neck) carved from one piece.

The veena is played by sitting cross-legged with the instrument held tilted slightly away from the player. The small gourd on the left rests on the player's left thigh, the left arm passing beneath the neck with the hand curving up and around so that the fingers rest upon the frets. The palm of the right hand rests on the edge of the top plank (which is made of rosewood) so that the fingers (usually index and middle) can pluck the strings