The instrument's name has been variously spelled
narsinga,
ransingha,
ramsinga, and
srnga. Srnga is
Sanskrit for horn and used in North India and Nepal. Its modern forms include "
Sig", "
Siga,", and "
Singha". The term was historically used for a wide variety shapes and sizes of horns, including straight horns, and horns made from water buffalo horns with mouthpieces made from ox horns.
Ramsingha . The ramsinga is a pronunciation specific to India. It uses four pipes of very thin metal which fit one within the other. It is mentioned in
Emilio Salgari's works such as
The Mystery of the Black Jungle (1895), where it is associated with the
thugee cult. In Chapter 62 of ''
Foucault's Pendulum (1988) the Ramsinga'' is also mentioned, being played by a devotee of a
druidic sect .
Narsinga Played historically in C shape in Nepal by
Damai caste musicians in groups such as the
damai baja. This form used in
Nepal,
Himachal Pradesh and southern
Bihar. The
Narasingha horn is also played by the
Gawantaris (musicians) of the
Udasi sect of
Sikhism to inform the public about religious processions. File:PancheBaaja.jpg|Nepal. The C-shaped narsinga is part of the
Panche baja instruments. File:Narsinga at Hindu wedding ceremony.jpg|Nepal. Narsinga being played for a wedding. File:Nepali Hindu Wedding (6).jpg|Nepal. Narsingas at a wedding party. File:Fresco from Thakurdwara Dariana Mal in Amritsar 08.jpg|Fresco from Thakurdwara Dariana Mal in Amritsar depicting an Udasi playing the
Narasingha ==See also==