Miraj cha Sur: Exploring the Social Life of the Stringed Instruments of Miraj, Maharashtra

The tradition of making stringed instruments has existed in Miraj since the 1800’s and can be traced back to the Shikalgar family who came to the city as sword polishers The process is extremely meticulous: the right pumpkin is to be picked to make the tumba, the right type of wood is to be used for the rest of the body, the instrument is to be polished and engraved with careful detail, and most importantly, the setting of strings is nuanced by javari Through this study, we aim to not only detail this very process, but also understand the context in which it occurs