For owners of a sitar, tabla or any Indian instrument, wherever you bought it
Indian instrument repair and service
KalaSudha offers Indian instrument repair and service worldwide: jawari and setup for sitars, new heads and syahi for tablas, and repairs on any instrument it sells, wherever you bought yours.
What KalaSudha repairs and services
KalaSudha provides Indian instrument repair and service for every kind of instrument it sells, wherever you bought yours and wherever you live. On a sitar that means the setup and the jawari, the buzzing bridge, voiced by hand to your gharana; on a tabla, re-facing worn heads and renewing the syahi, the black paste on each head. Strings, spare parts and cases come from KalaSudha too.
The makers who build KalaSudha's instruments work in close collaboration with it, and their repair and service workshops run alongside KalaSudha's artist tours. At a maker workshop, booked in advance online and open to every instrument owner, you bring your instrument to the maker in person. Between workshops, tell KalaSudha what your instrument needs and it replies by email with a quote and the arrangements; every instrument is packed for international shipping.
A share of every paid activity goes to our artists development fund, which pays for concerts, recordings and the promotion of the art forms.
Six ways KalaSudha looks after your instrument
Sitar setup and jawari
KalaSudha sets up your sitar and voices the jawari by hand to your gharana, whether the buzz has gone dull or harsh or the strings have cut grooves into the bridge. Bridges, frets and strings are replaced when they need it.
Tabla and pakhawaj heads
Worn tabla heads are re-faced and the syahi renewed, and a pakhawaj is re-headed, so the drum tunes true again. KalaSudha services every drum it sells, wherever you bought yours.
Any instrument KalaSudha sells
Sarod, santoor, harmonium, veena, violin or flute: every kind of instrument KalaSudha sells is serviced and repaired by it, wherever it was bought and wherever you live. Ask about anything not listed here.
Maker workshops on tour
KalaSudha's makers travel alongside its artist tours and hold repair and service workshops open to every instrument owner. Book a slot in advance online and bring your instrument to the maker in person.
Before a concert or exam
Tell KalaSudha the date you need the instrument back by. The arrangements are agreed by email before any work starts, and every instrument travels packed for international shipping.
Strings, parts and cases
KalaSudha supplies strings, spare parts and cases for the instruments it sells, and advises on what fits yours. Ask through the enquiry form, the chat on any page or by email.
How a repair or service comes about
- Press Send an enquiry with your instrument, where you bought it, what it needs and where you live; add the date you need it back by if there is one.
- KalaSudha replies by email with a quote and the arrangements, and agrees them with you before any work starts.
- Your instrument is serviced or repaired by KalaSudha's makers, in person at a maker workshop on tour or as arranged by email; every instrument is packed for international shipping.
- KalaSudha tells you when the work is done, and you ask through the chat on any page or by email for any help afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a workshop where I can bring my sitar or tabla to an Indian instrument maker in person for repair?
Yes. KalaSudha runs maker repair and service workshops alongside its artist tours, with the makers who build its instruments, and they are open to every instrument owner. You book a slot in advance online, bring your sitar or tabla, and the maker works on it in person. Between workshops, KalaSudha services and repairs any instrument it sells, wherever you bought it: send an enquiry with the instrument's details and where you live.
How do I book a jawari or bridge service for my sitar with a maker outside India?
Send KalaSudha an enquiry with your sitar's details, where you bought it and where you live, or ask through the chat on any page or by email. KalaSudha replies with a quote and the arrangements, and its maker voices the jawari by hand to your gharana, replacing the bridge if the grooves have gone too deep. At a maker workshop on tour you can have it done in person. KalaSudha services any sitar, wherever it was bought.
Who can replace the heads of a tabla or re-head a pakhawaj for a player living outside India?
KalaSudha re-faces worn tabla heads, renews the syahi, the black paste on each head, and re-heads a pakhawaj, for players anywhere in the world and whatever the drum's origin. The work is done by the makers who build KalaSudha's drums, in person at a maker workshop on tour or as arranged by email. Send KalaSudha an enquiry with the drum's details and where you live, and it replies with a quote and the arrangements.
Who makes the sitars and tablas KalaSudha sells outside India, and can I meet the makers in person?
KalaSudha's sitars, tablas and other instruments are built by makers who work in close collaboration with it, and KalaSudha features them. You meet them at KalaSudha's maker repair and service workshops, which run alongside its artist tours and are open to every instrument owner: book a slot in advance online and bring your instrument. An instrument made to order is agreed with the maker through KalaSudha, by quote; see the instruments KalaSudha sells.
How can I have my Indian classical instrument serviced in time for a concert or exam when I live outside India?
Tell KalaSudha the instrument, what it needs and the date you need it back by, through Send an enquiry, the chat on any page or by email. KalaSudha replies with a quote and the arrangements and agrees them before any work starts; every instrument is packed for international shipping. If a maker workshop on one of KalaSudha's artist tours falls before your date, book a slot and have the work done in person. KalaSudha services any instrument it sells, wherever you bought yours.
Will KalaSudha service or repair a sitar, tabla or other instrument I bought from another shop or maker?
Yes. KalaSudha services and repairs every kind of instrument it sells, wherever you bought yours and wherever you live: a sitar from another shop, a tabla brought from India, a harmonium passed down in the family. Send an enquiry with the instrument's details and what it needs, and KalaSudha replies with a quote and the arrangements. Strings, spare parts and cases for it come from KalaSudha too; see the instruments KalaSudha sells.
How often does the jawari on a sitar need re-doing, and how do I know it is time?
There is no fixed interval: a jawari wears as the strings cut grooves into the bridge, so a sitar played for long hours needs it sooner than one played a little. It is time when the tone has gone dull or the buzz has turned harsh and uneven, when the grooves are visible, or when a string no longer sings cleanly. KalaSudha voices the jawari by hand to your gharana and replaces the bridge when the grooves have gone too deep.
What happens at a KalaSudha maker workshop for Indian instruments, and how do I book a slot for my instrument?
At a KalaSudha maker workshop, the makers who build its instruments set up a bench where the artists are touring and see instrument owners one by one. A sitar is set up and its jawari voiced, tabla heads are re-faced, and any instrument KalaSudha sells is checked and repaired. Slots are booked in advance online, and the workshops are open to every instrument owner, whatever the instrument's origin. Watch KalaSudha's events for the tours the workshops run alongside.
Have your instrument serviced by KalaSudha
Press Send an enquiry with your instrument, where you bought it and what it needs. KalaSudha replies by email with a quote and the arrangements.