Inside family’s music treasure gathered over generations
Jaipur collector owns priceless instruments from Buddhist and Mughal rule
His antique collection of musical instruments have been used in several Bollywood movies, including Bajirao Mastani, PK, Jodha Akbar, Veer, Faasle and Jeene Nahin Doonga.
An avid collector of rare Indian musical instruments in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Abdul Aziz has created a private museum at home with more than 1,000 traditional musical instruments on display.
Many of the priceless instruments, ranging from the Buddhist era to the Mughal rule, have been part of the family collection for generations.
Gushing about the collection, Aziz says, “I possess all varieties of instruments that exist in the country. Varying in size, rareness, value and age, some pieces are historically significant and unique. One such is the tasha rabab [of Central Asian origin], popularised and improved by instrumentalist Tansen, known for a large number of compositions and among the musicians at the court of Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar.”
The incredible collection also includes, Afghani rabab and Ruhani rabab that are now found only in Kabul and Kashmir. Then there are several pieces of tabla and bayan — types of drums that are made from cloth instead of leather.
“Not seen widely and having gone out of fashion, these date back to the time when Brahmins [high caste Hindu priests] played the tabla. Since they did not touch leather, these had to be made from cloth. The tabla, comprising leather, was also introduced during the Mughal regime,” Aziz says.
Among the several dust-laden instruments like sarod, veena, and sarangi lies the peacockshaped sitar.
“This is over 450-years-old,” says the 50-year-old musician, who has taken his passion to an altogether new level by still continuing to visit far off villages to buy and enhance his collection.
Dearth of space
While the main room of Aziz’s small house is stacked with musical instruments of all varieties arranged somewhat systematically, several others lie scattered in every nook and corner of the house.
“I belong to a family of musicians and we have not only been collecting, but also manufacturing replicas of the some musical instruments,” he says.
Sadly, due to dearth of space, some equipment which is on the verge of extinction, is even kept in the storeroom and bathroom!
“I have dedicated my life to collecting these, but with my limited income I am unable to maintain them and will not be able to look after the treasure trove for long. My dream is to conserve, preserve and display them for the public. But unless the government gives me a plot of land to set up a small museum, the precious collection will be lost,” Aziz said.
Talking about his ancestors, he said, “My grandfather used to repair instruments of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Later, they moved from Delhi to Jaipur. Our family has also mended musical instruments displayed at Jaipur’s Albert Hall Museum. Now, my brothers, nephew and sons assist me in conserving these instruments.”
However, Aziz, was saddened to say, “At times, in dire need of money, I have had to sell few priceless pieces at very cheap rates — some of which were bought by Japanese and American tourists and kept in their museums.”
Collector of rare musical instruments