Pungi

History of the Pungi

The origins of the pungi are ancient and largely undocumented but the term can now refer to multiple reed wind instruments from India. The pungi has folklore connections to various Indian royalty but began as an accompaniment for folk music and oral history. There is also little information on the early instrument ancestors of a pungi but most were thought to be originally fashioned from a gourd-like fruit with bamboo or wooden pipes. Hinduism in India has always held serpents to be sacred which sparked a tradition of snake charming with the long drone sound of a pungi. This continuous sound created a trance-like noise for the cobras and the practice became incredibly popular in the early 20th century for tourists and other Westerners fascinated with Indian culture. India officially banned snake charming in the late 20th century under a Wildlife Protection act which has seen the tradition dwindle dramatically. The pungi is still used as a signature instrument of India.

Inventor: Unknown