Taus,” means “peacock” in Persian. A grand and majestic instrument, it has a deeper and louder sound compared to the smaller tanti saaj.

There are around seventeen sympathetic strings on the Taus and 4 main playing strings. The sympathetic strings are a hallmark of tanti saaj and Indian classical music. When the main strings are played, the sympathetic strings resonate.

The taus has a long neck contains metal frets and is played with the instrument resting between the knees when sitting cross legged. The left hand slides up and down the strings along neck placing them between the frets while the right hand holds the bow sliding it across the main strings. The sound box is very big and hollow, and is covered with goat skin.

Making the Taus requires great craftsmanship, as it is carved from a single piece of wood. Various sources attribute the invention of the Taus to Guru Gobind Singh Ji