India has a rich tradition of string instruments and this class of instruments are all either plucked, bowed or hammered ones. The bowed class appears to be quite old, yet these instruments did not occupy a place in classical music until the last few centuries. Let us take a look at all the class of stringed instruments.

Ektara
This String instrument of India basically means a single-stringed (ek - one, tara - string) instrument. It is also known as iktar, ektar or gopichand and perhaps the oldest of the stringed instruments in the Indian subcontinent. It is famously associated with the saint Mirabai. Originally, this instrument was a regular string instrument, which is plucked with one finger.

Sitar
Sitar is the most popular plucked stringed instrument of India and has been in use for about 700 years. Sitar is used in a variety of genre. It is played in north Indian classical music Hindustani Sangeet Bollywood music and western fusion music. It is not commonly found in south Indian classical performances or folk music. The sitar developed during the collapse of the Moghul empire and it reflected the culture of the times in that it showed both Indian and Persian characteristics.

Surbahar
The surbahar is also known as bass sitar and is a plucked String instrument of India used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. The surbahar was developed around 1825 and its invention is generally attributed to Ustad Sahebdad Khan, although recent research shows that it may actually have been invented by a lesser known Lucknow-based sitarist named Ustad Ghulam Mohammed.

Swarmandal
The Swarmandal is basically a small harp and a type of an This String instrument of India. It is generally used for the drone to accompany the vocalists. The Indian harp is used in many traditional Hindu and Muslim rituals, and is a traditional instrument. The Swara (notes) and Mandal (group) represent its ability to produce a large number of notes. It has been used for many generations, dating back to the pre-Moghul era; though still used today; its use is not as widespread.
Tambura
The tambura is a type of a stringed instrument. It is a long-necked Indian lute, which is unfretted and round-bodied. The neck is hollow, and it has four or five wire strings, which are plucked one after another in a regular pattern to create a tonic resonance field. In the Hindustani classical music, the tambura comes in different sizes: bigger "males" and smaller "females".

Veena
Veena is a plucked stringed instrument used in Carnatic music. There are several variations of the veena and its designs have been evolved over the years. The veena was often used to accompany the Dhrupad style of singing and this did not allow for much intricacy or embellishment around the notes. Originally, veena is a a string instrument with two gourd resonators connected by a central shaft, possibly of bamboo, and held diagonally from lap to shoulder. Some variations of the veena are Rudra Veena, Saraswati Veena, Vichitra Veena, Gottuvadhyam Veena, Mohan Veena ETC.

Sarod
Sarod is another popular classical musical String instrument of India . It occupies a position second to that of the Sitar, in terms of popularity ans prominence amongst the connoisseurs of the Hindustani classical music. The body is carved from a single piece of well-seasoned teakwood and the belly covered with goatskin. There are four main strings, six rhythms and drone strings and fifteen sympathetic strings, all made of metal, but it has no frets. Sarod strings are made either of steel or phosphor bronze.

Sarangi
The name derives from Sau Rangi meaning 100 colours. Sarangi is played with a bow and has four main strings and as many as forty resonant strings. It is generally used to accompany singers but can also be a solo instrument. The Sarangi is the most important bowed string instrument of India`s Hindustani classical music tradition.

Saringda
It is a stringed folk Sstring musical instrument of India, which is actually the folk version of the Sarangi. It is played while sitting on the ground in a vertical orientation, with a bow and has three strings. The Tripuris, use Saringda in their traditional music and dance as it is the sole accompany for a solo or group folk singer.

Rebab
The rebab is a string instrument of India, though originated in Afghanistan is used in a wide variety of musical ensembles and genres, in India. Corresponding with its wide distribution, it is built and played somewhat differently in different areas. The rabab has a piece of hollow wood at the top and a hollow circular wooden belly covered with a sheep skin at the bottom.

Esraj (Dilruba)
It is one of the major string instruments of North India, about 200 years old. It is played with a bow and has many strings. It is found in two forms throughout the north, central, and east regions of India, particularly in Bengal and Bangladesh. Its name is translated as "robber of the heart." The Esraj is mostly used as an accompanying instrument, for the Rabindra Sangeet singing. However, it has also been used as a solo instrument to interpret Hindustani Classical Music, mostly in the Vishnupur tradition. Unfortunately, the popularity of the Esraj has been steadily declining.

Santoor
It is a North Indian instrument originating from Kashmir. It has more than a hundred strings, which run across a hollow rectangular box and a pair of slim carved walnut mallets strikes the strings. The santoor as used in Kashmiri classical music is played with a pair of curved mallets made of walnut wood and the resultant melodies are similar to the music of the harp, or piano.