The bansuri is a side-blown flute made from a single piece of hollow bamboo. It is one of the most important instruments in Hindustani classical music and is deeply associated with the Hindu deity Lord Krishna. Unlike Western flutes, it has no keys; the player produces different notes by covering six or seven finger holes. This simplicity allows the musician to perform 'meend' (gliding from one note to another) and microtonal ornamentations by partially covering the holes—techniques vital to Indian Ragas. The quality of a bansuri depends on the type of bamboo used, which must be thin-walled and have long intervals between the natural joints (nodes). It produces a warm, breathy, and deeply meditative sound.