Progress and inventions bring in freshness, and the “electronic and digital versions for shruti are welcome examples of evolution and change, says A.V. Kashinath of Aruna Musicals, one of the oldest music instruments store in Bengaluru.
“But the hard fact of the ‘missing tambura makers’ makes it unfortunate for an art, as there are no takers now,” says mridanga artiste Kashinath, grandson of harmonium Arunachalappa and son of violinist A. Veerabhadraiah, who started the store in 1934.
“Did you know that some families in Magadi village, Simpadipura village, near Nelamangala, and in Mysuru used to make tambura and veena from jackfruit tree wood and red cedar? Such families still continue to live there making other instruments but not tamburas,” says Mr. Kashinath, who reiterates that tambura sales have almost stopped from two years, but Hindustani musicians use taanpuras made in Miraj, Kolkata or Delhi.
Until 30 years ago, Aruna Musicals had more than 30 tambura manufacturers working for them. The city also had Veene Ranganna and Veene Ramanna whose musical instrument store started in 1928 had several tambura and veena manufactures under them.
“Those were days when we sold tamburas and veenas by the hundreds every month, but in the last three decades, with the coming of the electronic versions, including Radel and Ragini, sales have gradually nosedived. Today, orders for tambura are once in a blue moon. People now are even selling away their old tamburas,” says Mr. Kashinath.
