At a crossroads, Miraj’s artisans want politicians to tune in to their demands

Miraj, Sangli: A seventh-generation sitar and tanpura maker, 43-year-old Mohsin Mirajkar hails from Miraj in Sangli district. The town is renowned as the residence of the Kirana gharana founder — Ustad Abdul Karim Khan — whose tomb is a revered site for music lovers from across the world to pay their respects. Every year, prominent artists and singers congregate at a three-day classical music festival here to perform in honour of the gharana.

Fittingly then, on March 30 this year, Govt of India's (GoI) intellectual property (IP) office issued a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the Miraj Musical Instruments Cluster for its sitars, and the Soultune Musical Instrument Producer firm, run by the Mirajkar family, for its tanpuras.

The cluster is aimed at advancing a host of facilities for the town's community of artisans, whose skills have been passed down over generations, to preserve their craft. However, Mirajkar is concerned about the future of his family's rich legacy.

Like him, leading artisans of the town are discontented as they say the cluster project has been stalled since 2017. Amid political campaigns taking off ahead of the assembly poll, this small but important population of craftsmen is now hopeful for financial assistance to support their ambitious project.

The humble landscape in the heart of Miraj belies these grander aspirations. The localities here congested, offering a glimpse into an ancient city. The houses are small, many over a century old, featuring wooden windows and creaking doors. Numerous musical shops stand out in line in the narrow bylanes, used by locals for commuting.

Inside, craftsmen toil in cramped spaces, often less than 100 square feet, skillfully carving wood using traditional carpentry tools. Despite the ambient noise outside, they remain deeply engrossed in their craft, often listening to the soothing notes of sitars and tanpuras.

These days, the artisans of Miraj — a former princely state — are encountering numerous challenges in the trade, from sourcing pumpkins to deodhar wood from Karnataka to cutting blocks for making these famous instruments.

Sitting in his modest shop on the bustling MG Road in Miraj's Shaniwar Peth, Mohsin remarked, "This musical town was once home to thousands of sitar makers. Over the years, just a few remain. The younger generation is seeking other opportunities as continuing the traditional business is complex and time-consuming. At present, around 50 artisans are actively engaged in this craft, each with expertise in specific aspects of instrument-making. Most work is done manually, allowing us to fulfil only a small percentage of orders. This affects employability as we earn limited income."

Politically, Miraj was the bastion of the Congress till 1985, before the Janata Dal (Sharad Patil) snatched it in 1990. Congress's Hafizbhai Dhature regained it between 1999 and 2004, but then lost to BJP's Suresh Khade, who has been representing the constituency since 2009.

Khade, the sitting MLA who aims to win back Miraj assembly segment for the fourth consecutive time this year, told TOI, "There are differences between two groups of instrument makers. So, we could not complete cluster work. Unless they resolve their differences, we cannot initiate it. We have had multiple discussions in the past, but unsuccessfully. I will try again to resolve the issue."

Khade also said they have allocated a dedicated space for instrument makers at Miraj railway junction, but artisans chose not to utilise it. "They prefer to operate from their shops, so we had to close the facility. Now, we have decided to address the issue regarding govt stipends for artisans. I will pursue this matter and submit a proposal to govt in coming days," said Khade.

Ibrahim, another sitar maker, said, "Unless we adopt a fresh approach and innovate within the craft, many will struggle to continue this work. It is a significant concern for us. Politicians must support the cluster, where we aim to introduce advanced machinery to expedite our raw material processing. This will provide a major boost in fulfilling orders from various cities and well-known artists across India. Politicians must recognise the threat and preserve our rich musical heritage."

Eminent artists — including Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, Ustad Rashid Khan, sitar maestro Shujaat Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, music director Hridaynath Mangeshkar, and many others — have used instruments from Miraj. "It is a town of music — unique. Despite our modest facilities, artists do not complain about Miraj. What they cherish is our culture, the community's love and respect for music. No artist charges us for their performances when they participate in the annual classical music festival," shared Mubin Mirajkar, a sitar maker, adding, "You probably won't find this anywhere else in the world. Even foreigners spend days and weeks here, sitting in tiny shops for hours just to enjoy the craft and listen to the instruments."

In and around these workshops, artisans create tanpuras, sitars, tablas, and various other string instruments. Some can be seen giving them final touches, others have left them outside to bask in the sunlight.

Seventy-year-old artisan Ahmed told TOI, "For us, it's an honour. Our instruments will bring joy to thousands when melodies emerge from them."

Making a single instrument takes a couple of weeks. Each step requires expertise — from cutting a pumpkin to create the tumba (resonator) to crafting the dandi (fingerboard), tuning beads, tabli, etc.

"The most challenging part is assembling the various components and setting the strings — the soul of the instrument. This final step is carried out with much care. Very few have developed this expertise over decades. We create instruments according to the artists' specifications while maintaining set standards," explained Mohsin, who holds a diploma in music from Shivaji University in Kolhapur. Teaching this centuries-old craftsmanship needs refinement and will need to be passed down to the next generation to preserve the town's rich legacy, he said.

"We want to establish a dedicated training centre in the cluster, where our experienced artisans will conduct classes to teach the next generation. This will cultivate new talent in this niche field and preserve the art," Mohsin added, elaborating that at least Rs 1 crore is needed to start this centre.

Instruments crafted in this town find their way to countries like Japan, Singapore, European nations, and Australia, where many Indians have established academies to teach Indian classical music. "If we establish the cluster and introduce machines for some tasks, like cutting wood — which currently takes four to five hours — we can reduce the time to under an hour. Then, we could produce a tanpura or sitar within a week, increasing our production," Mubin explained.

A history of note

Miraj has a storied past, having been ruled by the Bhamani Empire, Bijapur Sultanate, Marathas, Mughals, and the British.

Its unique story began when the kalash of the more than seven-century-old dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Samsuddin Meerasaheb, a prominent landmark in the city, required repairs in the 1800s.

To carry this out, the best Shikalgar (weapon-makers) from Bijapur were brought to Miraj. Among them were the brothers Mohinuddin and Farid Sahab, respected musical artisans.

Shikalgar were traditionally involved in manufacturing weapons, such as swords and artillery for the Bijapur rulers. However, as modern weapons replaced traditional combat, the Shikalgar faced diminishing work opportunities.

The turning point for the community arose when the Patwardhan family, then-rulers of the town, hosted a musical soirée featuring prominent artists. During the event, a tanpura of one artist malfunctioned, and no one could repair it. The ruler asked the Shikalgar to fix it, as they were already skilled in metal craftsmanship. They repaired the tanpura, even enhancing its tonal quality.

"This was a watershed moment for our community as it opened a new avenue for livelihood. Artists from various regions began visiting the town to purchase and repair instruments. As demand grew and the town's reputation spread, more families joined this business, solidifying its status as a town of music," said Mohsin.

Playing a few soothing notes on his sitar, he added, "We want to proudly carry forward this legacy. It has been a centuries-long musical journey for us, and we want to preserve it for the next generation to serve the world of classical music."