In a humble workshop filled with the scent of seasoned wood, 78-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Zaz continues a family tradition spanning eight generations: crafting the Kashmiri santoor.
Surrounded by age-old tools, he works meticulously, each strike and polish embodying centuries of tradition in crafting this musical instrument.
“Seven generations have practiced this craft, and I am the eighth; I cannot guarantee that anyone will continue after me,” Zaz said softly in Kashmiri.
At one time, many family members embraced this craft in Srinagar, the main city of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Today, he stands as the last artisan in the city making these instruments by hand.
“If I ask someone to make one, they wouldn’t know where to begin,” said Zaz, who crafts about eight to ten instruments annually, each selling for approximately 50,000 rupees ($565).
“It’s not as easy as just picking up any wood; the right kind must be found.”
The santoor, a hundred-stringed, zither-like instrument played with mallets, is central to Kashmir’s musical heritage, contributing to the region’s unique cultural identity.
Mystical Music
Historically, the santoor was integral to “sufiana musiqi,” Kashmir’s mystical music, known for its mesmerizing and resonant sound that brought peace.
“Musicians traveled from Iran to Kashmir, playing the santoor and other instruments,” said Muzaffar Bhat, a music professor at a government college in Anantnag.
“They sang in Persian… we adapted the santoor from them and incorporated it into our music.”
The instrument saw a revival in the 20th century.
In the 1950s, renowned Indian musician Shivkumar Sharma, born in Jammu and Kashmir in 1938, used the santoor for classical music.
“Because of this, it gained popularity in classical music circles throughout India,” Bhat explained.
Suddenly, the santoor was no longer limited to Kashmiri sufiana gatherings; it had become a celebrated voice in Indian classical music.
Yet, tradition faced challenges as Western instruments and global music trends began to overshadow local sounds.
“Many of our traditional Kashmiri instruments were overshadowed,” Bhat noted.
For craftsmen like Zaz, this resulted in fewer patrons, fewer students, and the gradual decline of a family profession that spanned centuries.
Zaz sells his instruments in Kashmir and receives orders from Europe and the Middle East.
But there is hope. A modest revival is underway.
“In recent years, a new trend has emerged,” Bhat said. “Our youth have begun learning our traditional instruments.”
