Taus is a stringed instrument, played with bow and it has a peacock like shape of soundbox. Taus literally means peacock in Arabic and Persian. This instrument is also referred as Mayuri Veena. Though the word Taus is Arabic, the instrument is purely Indian.

According to Sikh tradition of music in Punjab, this instrument was invented by Kahan Singh, a devotional musician of Patiala court. Mahant Gajjasingh, who was court musician and teacher of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, adapted this instrument in Sikh music. As this instrument is delicate to carry, later it was simplified in structure and a new instrument was born which is called as Dilruba. was made.

The fingerboard, frets, string arrangement and bowing style is the same in both Taus and Dilruba, but only difference is there in the shape of soundbox. Taus is still popular in Punjab as an accompaniment instrument for Gurmat Sangeet.

(Please see the note on Dilruba for further details.)