Radha Krishna Sharma Sarod This instrument is of the style popularized by Ali Akbar Khan, and in the states is probably the most popular design. The sever taper of the fingerboard is a recent adaptation of the sarod, older ones had a much more delicate transition from the nut to the body. This style of sarod features 10 main strings, as you can see there is a little rack or strings off to the side. You can see that the body of the sarod is very round, this is the standard shape of the instrument today, with a few exceptions.