STRINGS OF A MUSICAL LEGACY
Delhi has always been the city of music. During the rule of Rajputs till early eleventh century and then the Mughals, Delhi’s courts were always known to appreciate musical talents. Even today, walking down the lanes of Delhi, one can easily spot many musical instruments’ shops. All these shops together tell the story of Delhi’s rich musical heritage.
But there is one particular shop in busy Cannaught Place that, though part of this heritage but, still stands apart from any other musical instrument shop in this country. Rikhi Ram Musical Instruments and Manufacturing Co., run by Ajay Dass Sharma, is a place that has been a pilgrimage of musical maestros since last 58 years.
Believe it or not, this unassuming man and his shop in Connaught Place can lay claim to a part of the success of all-time great musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Vishnu Mohan Bhatt.
Ajay Sharma is carrying on the musical legacy of his forefathers who were singers. Talking about this legacy, he says that it was his grand father, Late Pt. Rikhi Ram, who ventured into making musical instruments at his shop in Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore. After partition Sharma’s family shifted to Delhi and they were given a shop in Connaught Place by the government as a compensation for the shop in Anarkali Bazar in Lahore. Later, Bishan Das Sharma, son of late Rikhi Ram carried on the traditional business forward.
Talking about his father Bishan Dass Sharma, Ajay Sharma says, “My father played a legendary role in establishing musical instrument making as an art. Before that, anyone who knew music preferred to entertain an audience and get applause rather than play a role in the backstage. But my father established instruments making as an equally important art.”
Continues Sharma, “My father knew that to be a master craftsman one needs to have a thorough knowledge of music; and to understand the sound, tonal quality and other nuances of the instrument. He learnt Sitar playing at a very tender age under the guidance of Pt. Ravi Shankar. He has a great understanding of music”.
He doesn’t forget to mention that his father has also invented instruments like Transistorised Sitar, Rikhi Veena, Naad Veena, Shankar Guitar, Tamboori, Swarmanjari to name a few. His best known invention is the Swar Mandal---a combination of the Tanpura and the Sur Mandal--fashioned on a teak base which he designed for Vishnu Mohan Bhatt who went on to win a Grammy Award in 1994.
Talking about his father Ajay Sharma recites an incident. “Once in 1995 Pt. Ravi Shankar was performing in Delhi’s Sri Fort auditorium on his 75th birthday. As he was playing a string of his sitar became loose. Something went wrong with the tuning of his sitar and the master called his sishya “Bishan Dass kahaan ho?’ Everyone was surprised at Panditji’s gesture. And seven years later, on his 82nd birthday, the sitar shaped cake melted from a corner and again the master said “Bishan Dass kahaan ho?’ He loved my father’s work!” Sharma says gleefully.
About his own education and training, Ajay Sharma says,” I have done my Masters in Sitar but I prefer to be here rather than on the stage. My father and Grandfather have worked hard to establish a name and I have to carry the legacy forward. It’s no longer about money. People come here by faith that they have in our abilities. I put my personal interest into each work and instrument”.
Interestingly Ajay Dass too learnt Sitar from no less a person than Pandit Ravi Shankar, who was also his father’s teacher. Today the renowned maestro plays only on sitars made in this shop. And its not just Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ajay Dass makes special string instruments for a host of other musicians too.
Ustad Vilayat Khan got a special sitar from this shop for his son Sujat and nephew Nishad when they started their learning music. When Amjad Ali Khan's sons, Amaan and Ayaan were little kids, they got their first Sarod from this shop. Recently, Sharma made a special travelling sitar for Anoushka Shankar, which is small in size but has the same character and tonal quality of a traditional one. But it is neither bulky nor unwieldy and easy to carry.
Worldwide Fame
It’s not just the Indian maestros who consider this shop as a final destination for musical instruments. When the Beatles were on their tour to Phillipines in 1966, they stopped over in India and visited his shop. Ajay Dass says, “George got his first lessons in Sitar from my father and in his autobiography I, Me, Mine there is a picture of the sitar which my father made for him. My father also made a Tanpura for Paul McCartney and a tabla and sarod for the John Lenon.”
Today many established and upcoming stars from European and American countries like Matt Maley of Counting Crows, Cula Shaker and others come to him and get the string instruments they desire.
“We do not make bulk products, we cater to the needs of selected clients. Each sitar is made from Ceder wood commonly known as Tun. We season it for at least three years. It’s only after that it gets the right tonal quality for a sitar. We have our own inventory of this special wood which we put in a three-year seasoning cycle,” says Sharma.
Lectures & Demonstarations
Because of his love for music and musical instruments, Ajay Sharma has traveled worldwide and has held workshops in sitar making at Asian Music circuit in London, University of Nottingham UK, SAOAS- School of Asian and African studies London and given lecture demonstrations in the music department of prestigious Universities in Europe and USA. He has held workshop at Ali Akbar College of music, All England Conservatory Boston USA, University of Valladolid in Spain. He has also participated in live concert with Pt.Ravi Shankar ji.
He talks about his tours abroad citing them as a great learning experience. “It is so amusing to see that in the western countries, people start teaching children about music at a young age. Once I was invited by a primary school in England to give lectures on string instruments. I was amazed to see the kind of knowledge those kids had about Indian classical music. They were raising some really good questions. During this tour I met many western musicians had discussions with them and learnt their music”, says Ajay.
Future Plans
“The shop will definitely be there, but I want to increase awareness about Indian music in the world”. Ajay talks about his plans to teach students at school level. “Here in India even parents don’t have knowledge about Indian music. They don’t realize that Indian music and musical instruments are very popular in the west. I am planning to talk with few schools so that we can start teaching students about Indian music at an early age. At least they should have basic knowledge about it”, he says. He is also writing a book on Sitar and Sitar playing, which would be beneficial not only for students but also for people ho are into western music.
The humble man has got appreciations from world over, but Ajay Dass Sharma takes it all in his stride and says that the biggest appreciation is when some one plays the instrument and feels satisfied and content. “For me it’s the blessings of the artist and the appreciation by music lovers is what that matters the most. This keeps me motivated to do my work with much more passion.”
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