The shehnai is a double-reed wind instrument widespread in North India and Pakistan. It has a conical wooden tube ending in a metal bell and belongs to the same “family” of double-reed instruments as the zurna and the suona.
In Indian culture the sound of the shehnai is considered sacred and auspicious, so it traditionally accompanies weddings, temple ceremonies, and celebrations. The instrument's timbre is warm, rich, and slightly “weeping,” able to render subtly the melodic ornaments and microtones of the Indian ragas. Worldwide fame came to the shehnai through the great musician Bismillah Khan, who raised this folk instrument to the level of the classical concert stage and turned playing it into a high art.
