Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, June 23: Musical instruments makers in the district are facing a hard time due to drop in demand.
For centuries, the artisans and their families and ancestors have been engaged in making such instruments.
From long forgotten ethnic history, those families have tied their soul and heart with the profession of musical instrument making.
But due to advent of modern, new varieties of musical instruments, their age old ancestral profession is now on the threshold of closure.
At Sabaihat on Rajshahi-Naogaon road, the shop entitled 'Sur Taranga' is familiar to all music lovers as well as musicians and lyricists.
Even at his 60, master artisan and music man Anil Chandra Das was clinging to the ancestral profession which his father, forefather and great, great grand fathers were stick to.
To continue the tradition and profession of forefathers, Anil Chandra Das was determined not to switch to other profession even after facing hardship in maintaining family.
Though lack of modern technological knowledge, absence of proper training facilities and want of capital were threatening to destroy this rural and folk- creative intelligentsia, musical artisans like Anil refused to give up the age old ancestral profession.
"It is from the consciousness of our heart and soul that we are stick to this profession even after facing want and starvation," said Anil.
Anil with his only son Milon Kumar Das was seen working at his shop to make Tabla (a local musical instrument akin to drum).
His wife helps him in his work whenever she gets time.
Anil said he earns around Tk 10,000 per month by selling the musical instruments.
Anil Kumar said now-a-days most of the people of young generations even do not know the names of many musical instruments let alone to use and see those.
He said the indigenous musical instruments like Dhak, Dhol, Dugi, Tabla, Nul, Ghatghati, Khomo, Madal, Khonjoni, Ektara, Dotara and many such others are completely seem alien to young generation of the present days.
Sale of the instruments was also declining gradually but those folk musical instruments must be survived to keep our musical tradition enlivened, said Anil.
Milon Kumar Das said he loves to work with his father.
He said it will not be justified to switch to other profession by abandoning this ancestral profession.
He said most of the musical instruments are made of earthen pot, wood and leather.
He further said now to cope with the present demand, they were making drum sets made of iron sheets and plain sheet.
The artisan said his father was an efficient musical instruments maker.
His grandfather Debendra Chandra Das, his father Volanath Chandra Das and their fathers were all ancestral musical instrument artisans.
The 'khol' which is played during the cremation of dead body is also a tradition of their family, he added.
He further said many musical instruments like Donka, Shinga, Jhajnj, Kash or Kashi, Jhaptal, Turi, Veri and Madal are still used during celebration of Puja.
Master artisan Anil Kumar said, he was trying to save the local tradition which has been in use for hundreds of years.
He sought co-operation from all to continue this age-old, ancestral profession.
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