Pena: A Folk Instrument from Manipur

It is said that during the olden days in Manipur the Meitei Kings used to patronize Pena artists to accompany them on distant voyages. Not just for mere entertainment but a Pena artiste was seen as a healer of a variety of ailments. For instance, the performer's push on the Pena’s string resembled the healing massage on the body of a patient. The up & down movement of the bow of Pena identified with a rhythm that symbolized the heartbeat of human beings. It essentially signified creation & evolution. However, the instrument slowly got associated with the folk culture of Manipur & Bangladesh where its presence became regular during festivals.

‘Pena’, a mono stringed folk instrument has been an inseparable part of Manipur since prehistoric days & especially for the Meitei tribe every component of this indigenous instrument holds a special meaning. 

The two main components of this instrument, Maru(body) & Cheijing(bow), are sacredly referred to as Mother or Earth & Father or Sky respectively. 

It has been a companion in the transmission of oral tradition whether devotional, religious, amorous, festive or legendary since time immemorial. 

A major Manipuri festival called Lai Haraoba has fostered the use of the instrument considerably. It is celebrated to please the ancestral deities & tells the story of creation. It has also become an essential part of Manipur folk theatre as well. 

The main body of Pena is made out of a 10-inch long bamboo fixed on a coconut shell cut in half. Two holes are drilled in the shell for acoustic purposes, one of which is covered with animal skin. The strings are from the horse’s tail which is controlled for tension by a bamboo peg further fitted inside a hole. A scroll ‘Chambuli Lang’ is also hanged at the tip of the neck.

The bow is made of wood which is shaped like a question mark with tiny metal balls attached to the curve that jingles while playing, thus providing the rhythm. The bow hair is traditionally from the horse’s tail but sometimes strings made out of metal or wood fibres are also used.

Read more: Pepa: The Sound of the Assamese Hornpipe