SHRII needs your financial help!
Please donate in order to restore this historic collection of rare instruments.
In 2016, SHRII became aware of an extraordinary collection of over 200 historic and rare instruments located in Kolkata, IN. At one time, these instruments were the collection of Pandit Radhika Mohan Maitra, a former Zamindar in Rajshahi (in what is now Bangladesh). These priceless instruments were once a part of his court.
The collection includes sarods, sitars, esrajs, dilrubas, dotaras, ektaras, mayuriveenas, mohan veenas, rudra veenas, saraswati veenas, tantric veenas, pakhawaj, sarangis, santoors, sarindas, sur rababs, surpeti, senia rababs, surbahars, a surchayan, surshringars, tabla, and tanpura.- Some of these instruments were created in the 17th century and many are over 100 years old.
- Some were played or owned by legendary musicians including Wazir Khan and Dabir Khan both of whom were blood descendants of the 16th century musical guru Mian Tansen.
- Some, including the nadadeepa and dilbahar were invented by the late Pandit Radhika Mohan Maitra and are the only specimens in the world.
- All make beautiful music.
The collection is lovingly cared for by multi-instrumentalist Somjit Dasgupta, one of Radhika Mohan Maitras students. Somjit has been working with Sanat Halder, one of Indias finest instrument makers, to restore this collection of priceless instruments. Sanat learned how to make and repair instruments from a long heritage of Indias most well-respected instrument makers dating back to the 19th century including Mohan Lal Sharma, Gopal Sharma and Durga Sharma.
SHRII’s vision is to:
- Restore the instruments.
- Document the collection in a formal publication.
- Give the world a chance to see the instruments by collaborating with museum curators to take the instruments on a world tour.
- Bring the instruments to life by producing concerts in which famous musicians perform historic ragas using the instruments in the collection.
- Produce recordings of the instruments being played by virtuosos.
- Establish permanent museums in select countries around the world where the instruments can be maintained, displayed, studied, and played by those capable of it.
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In order to achieve this vision, SHRII needs your financial assistance. A dollar for dollar match has been established for every dollar raised between now and October 1, 2017. Donations can be made payable to:
“Society for Historic and Rare Instruments of India” OR “SHRII”
1141 SE 72nd Ave
Portland, OR 97215 USA