Music appreciation

At a recent idle outing with the wife to a musical concert, I found out that I was more ignorant than I had hitherto believed. I found out how much I did not know about South Indian Carnatic music. The music exponent was a lady (in her late 50’s), a Professor of Music. Between renditions of pleasing numbers, she spoke effortlessly about South Indian Classical music theory. And all around me, the audience seemed to comprehend the Professor’s words, which was all the more humbling. I enjoyed listening to the song & music, but realised that this was a deeply meaningful art. It could even be said to border on the sciences.
In a second recent occasion, a young lady played the Sitar. At that moment if anyone had asked me, I couldn’t have confirmed if it was a Sitar or a Veena. Later I discovered that calling a Sitar a Veena wouldn’t be that wrong. My research enlightened me that in Sanskrit, a stringed instrument is generically referred to as a vina, which I guess is close enough.
My research then led me to the fact that the ancients of India categorised Veenas into two categories, Tat and Vitat. These mean plucked and unplucked respectively. Although this to me conjured up sickening images of chickens, plucked means using the fingers (or some contraptions attached to them), as when playing the Sitar, Veena, Sarod, Tanpura or Sarangi (I am almost literate now), while unplucked means using a bow (such as in a violin).
The Sitar has two bridges (meaningful to me), and on the upper bridge there are seven strings; four for playing the melody, and three for rhythmic variations and resonance. The lower bridge carries 13 sympathetic strings, all for resonance and occasional plucking.
My casual observation before this gave me the impression that there were at most 2 strings, and no bridges to talk about.
Coming back to this young lady, who looked quite frail, I was concerned that the heavy Sitar was going to crush her under its weight. I did marvel at how she effortlessly (though delicately) carried the thing. But now I find that a Sitar weighs next to nothing. The huge bulbous end is really a hollow gourd. In fact, the Sitar player is advised to balance the instrument between the player's left foot and right knee (takes a contortionist to do this).
I also found that learning to play the sitar is not easy. Apparently the beginner has to endure painful days, he or she begins to develop the hard calluses and black grooves on the fingers, which typify the sitar player.
And this frail young lady managed to produce a soothing melody, even by the standards of this author, which is saying something.