The colloquial meaning of the word kolamba is a stringed instrument when it is without strings, that is, when strings are added to a kolamba it turns into a stringed instrument. The original stringed instrument is the ektárá. This ektárá [one stringed musical instrument] was invented during prehistoric times to bring resonance to the sound of the string. Shiva improved upon this ektárá and made the viiń or viińá. This viiń or viińá is the first musical instrument so devised as to maintain unison with surasaptaka or musical octave. This viiń was gradually refined and improved upon, and different other string instruments came into being, such as the sitar, esraj, violin, and so on. The violin was invented in eastern Italy and the sitar in Persia (Iran). Nearly all the other stringed instruments were invented in India. The ektárá was first used by the baul community in Ráŕh. Experienced bauls show some melodic virtuosity on the ektárá although this requires a special kind of dexterity in the fingers. If you take away the string from ektara, the part that is left we can call kolamba.

By adding the suffix kan to kolamba we get kolambaka. The lower portion of the kolamba was made from the hard, dry shell of the ripe gourd in olden times. In some places it is used still now. This shell especially helps to deepen the sound, thereby the sound becomes harmonious.

It is said that although the kat́utumbii (bitter gourd) is unsuitable as food, it makes an excellent medicine and an excellent shell for stringed instruments. This lowest portion of stringed instruments, which at one time used to be made from gourd shells, is called kolambaka.