Tanpura artist Altaf Mullah, classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande and Yusuf Mullah (Altaf’s father and Tanpura maker to Bhimsen Joshi). 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

For generations, Altaf Mullah and his household, residents of Miraj in Goa, have been within the enterprise of tuning the strings and twisting the pegs of Indian string devices such because the tanpura, surbahar, rudra veena and vichitra veena. They are at present headed for a tour of the United States and the United Kingdom, to carry workshops on how finest to maintain these devices tuned, for his or her purchasers overseas, a quantity that now oustrips their home market.

On the face of it, it appears as if Mr. Mullah and his household have negotiated the ravages of modernity on conventional companies fairly properly, by shifting their consumer base overseas. But the story is kind of totally different. In reality, the workshop is being sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) after a misery electronic mail from Mr. Mullah, who feared the extinction of this artwork of creating and sustaining string devices.

“We are the fifth generation making these string instruments. We were given Rajashray (royal patronage) in 1862, but the way things were going, this art would not survive beyond this generation. We make upto ₹500 per day, the younger generation is not that attracted to it,” says Mr. Mullah. His father, Yusuf Mullah, is a much-feted string instrument maker, with Hindustani music maestro Bhimsen Joshi having been a devoted patron.

After having knocked on many doorways, Mr. Mullah wrote to ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe concerning the systemic and rapid issues confronted by his tribe of string instrument makers. “For 1.3 billion people, and countless afficianados abroad, there are only 220 karigars (artisans), mostly concentrated in Goa or Kolkata,” he stated.

Mr. Sahasrabuddhe’s response was rapid, and one of many first issues he did was to arrange a gathering between Mr. Mullah and the Postmaster General of India, in New Delhi. “Our immediate issue was that the parcels of instruments that we used to send abroad [which is the bulk of the business] were through speed post. The department of posts changed it from weighted charges to volumetric post, that raised our costs by three times the amount. We were really struggling,” stated Mr. Mullah. The Postmaster General agreed to make an exception for the parcelling of string devices and a few aid was gained.

“Our major problems, however, remained. Our worst period was of course between 1990-2000 with the rising popularity of electronic instruments. Fortunately, acoustic sound made a quick comeback, and our business went up again, but not enough to attract the next generation,” he stated.

Mr. Sahasrabuddhe advised The Hindu that preserving the custom of creating and sustaining Indian string devices was necessary as they have been “the tangible and intangible heritage of India, and Indian musical tradition.” In reality, there’s now discuss of standardising a curriculum through the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for this function, to create a base of instrument makers, and forestall the talent from dying.

The Mullahs’ consumer checklist, starting from composer A.R. Rahman to India’s nightingale, the late Lata Mangeshkar, to Bhimsen Joshi and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain — reads just like the who’s who of Indian music.

 Tanpura artist Altaf Mullah with Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Indian string devices, particularly the tanpura, have been traditionally referenced via a lot of Indian historical past. In his devotional music, “O Sadho”, the poet-saint Kabir attracts a parallel between the human physique and the tanpura. “ Yaha tan thaata Tambure kaa, paanch tatwa ka banaa hai Tambura, khaenchta taar marodata khoonti, Nikalta raag hajure ka, O Sadho” (O seekers, this physique is a splendid tanpura, made of 5 components, strung along with 9 resonances. Tighten the strings, twist the pegs and it sings the music of the Lord).

As the irreplaceable accompaniment to the sound monitor of India, the tanpura, struggling for breath, hoped to “get a ventilator soon”, stated Mr. Mullah.