Chhung is an ancient mouth organ, often five or seven inches in length, made of iron and copper. The instrument is shaped like a small trident (trishul), with a fine copper wire making up a central section of the instrument. Although once a common instrument among nomadic tribes, most especially the Gujjars, its popularity has reduced dramatically over recent years. The Chhung is culturally significant as an instrument used to portray folk songs and tales, generally by shepherds when they go about their daily activities.

Widely distributed over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and other northern parts of India, the Gujjar tribes live a pastoral and semi-nomadic life focused on animal husbandry. They are famously tough and culturally resourceful. The Gujjars describe the music as life, a source of entertainment, and a means of preserving their artistic heritage. The Chhung and other instruments are essential to their cultural expression and sustain the community's socio-spiritual life through song and melody.

The Chhung is essentially constructed from iron, and in between two parallel straight lines of metal is inserted a copper wire. The instrument's small size, typically between five and seven inches, renders it transportable and ideally suited for the nomadic lifestyle. The copper wire is the main component that resonates when air is blown through the instrument to produce a peculiar musical resonance different from other traditional instruments within the area.

Gujjar shepherds typically play the Chhung in course of their work or as while passing the evening campfires. Traditional folk pieces from pastoral times form its use and the piece thus comes full-circle, describing such lives once. While this part was larger erstwhile society in broader society once, its function today has increasingly turned limited. Its availability during everyday chores ensures that the people and their music remain close to each other, despite its slow replacement by contemporary entertainment.

The Chhung is significant culturally to the Gujjar people, representing their affinity to nature and tradition. Its sounds remind one of the past when the instrument was at the heart of tribal culture and folklore. As the number of Chhung players diminishes, the instrument's continued use represents the tribe's resilience in preserving their heritage. Efforts are being made to document and promote the instrument's melodies to ensure that the traditional music of the Gujjars survives for future generations.