Gottuvadyam is a kind of fret-less veena, which is a common and popular concert instrument of the south. Its structure, mechanism, appearance and also the method of playing are just like the Rudra Veena. It is a heavy instrument to handle, as it is made of a piece of teak or ebony. It produces a deep and sweet sound. Gottuvadyam has 6 main strings, 3 of which are of steel and the other 3 are of brass of copper. There are 3 side strings meant for the rhythmic effect and jhankara. The instrument has also a few sympathetic side strings to enrich the tone of the instrument.

It is played by gliding a cylindrical polished solid piece of hard wood, along the strings. It came into existence in the South more than 80 years ago. It is modern stringed instrument of tala-type. It is said that the famous musician Sakharam Ram of Tiruvidaimaradur had introduced this new model to all lovers of music of the south.

Durgaprasad arrived on the Carnatic music scene as a child prodigy. His skill with the Gottuvadyam is unsurpassed. He firmly believes that Gottuvadyam music has to be restful; he plays notes by enhancing the total excellence of the Gottuvadyam. In this album he has played some popular Carnatic krithis to the music lovers with great deal of appreciation. He also introduced the new form of Gottuvadyam called Athi-Chitraveena; the playing technique is also the same like Gottuvadyam.