Sohanlal, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan

I met Sohanlal after stepping into one of Nawalgarh’s beautiful havelis, the ornate mansions built by rich merchants between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. He began to play his generations-old ravanahatha —a traditional bowed instrument from the subcontinent — and at first, the music was soulful, but it soon became more fast-paced and cheerful. We didn’t speak each other’s language, but his music said more than words could have done.