The harmonium is an integral part of Indian music in every genre – from folk to Hindustani classical to Bollywood. It is also widely used in devotional music by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
But not many people know that it is not actually from India. The keyboard instrument set in a box, which makes a sound by blowing air through reeds, was first patented in France in 1840 by an inventor called Alexandre Debain.
Unlike organs, which became warped on long sea voyages, the harmonium was portable and easy to carry.
“Brought to India by French missionaries in the 19th century, the harmonium took no time to blend beautifully into the warp and weft of the Indian music scene,” says writer and music historian Manek Premchand. “Its euphonious sounds have a universal feel to them, too, adding to its appeal.”
But at the height of the Indian independence movement, the harmonium faced banishment by anti-colonialists. Many orthodox music schools termed it a foreign instrument. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the author of India's national anthem, called it “the bane of Indian music” and banned it in his residential school Shantiniketan.
All India Radio, which had a monopoly over radio broadcasting in India, even banned this instrument in 1940 for three decades.
“The attempt to banish the sound of the harmonium was part of an attempt to define a national sound for India, distinct from the West,” writes University of Minnesota ethnomusicologist Matthew Rahaim in his research paper That Ban(e) of Indian Music: Hearing Politics in The Harmonium, published in 2011.
The ban was lifted in 1971, in a limited way, when it was permitted to be used as an accompaniment, but not for solo performances.
Harmoniums were first manufactured in India in 1875 in Kolkata. Dwarkanath Ghosh was the first to make the versions of the instrument we are familiar with today.
European versions had foot-operated bellows and were used in theatre performances. They were later tweaked for seated performances with handpump bellows.
Slowly but surely, the harmonium started replacing many Indian instruments, such as the string-bowed sarangi, in concerts. The sarangi required a lot of effort to tune compared to the harmonium and was also associated with courtesans.
Around 1900, Jeevanlal Mistry from Palitana – a Jain pilgrimage town in Gujarat – started making harmoniums as a cottage industry. By 1915, India had become a leading manufacturer of the instrument.
In the past, the thin metal reed that is the soul of the harmonium had to be imported from Germany. Today, the best brass reeds are made in Palitana – they are known for their tonal qualities, craftsmanship and durability.
“As elites have struggled to cleanse modern Indian music of what they argue is a 'foreign' intruder, the masses have used the harmonium as a gateway to an understanding of their musical heritage,” writes Rahaim.
The harmonium’s decline in Europe began in the early 20th Century when the electronic organ came on to the market. Today, it is undergoing a revival thanks to interest in yoga and chanting.
In India, it became popular with ghazals or Urdu poetry set to music, and Kathak, the North Indian classical dance. It also became popular for qawwalis – a devotional Sufi music tradition that’s popular in North India.
It was also a popular instrument for teaching students the basics of music. Many famous Indian musicians like Begum Akhtar and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi were champions of the instrument and used it in their concerts.
Pakrashi & Co in Kolkata, situated on Rash Behari Avenue has been making harmoniums with silky teak surfaces and high quality reeds for over 100 years. Their instruments have been used by many famous musicians such as the Grammy-winning musician Zakir Hussain and maestros such as Salil Chowdhury and the late Ghazal king Jagjit Singh.
“The instrument is made in our workshop without any machines. It is entirely handcrafted and a team of three artisans work for 40 days to make four harmoniums. We use teak wood and reeds from Palitana and polish it using polyurethane,” explains Suvojit Pakrashi, the third generation owner of the store.
Pakrashi & Co export their instruments to more than 21 countries and also hold regular repair workshops around the world where musicians can get their harmoniums fixed and also pick up the art of maintenance.
Their most expensive harmonium costs 52,000 rupees (Dh2,328).
Santosh Ghante is one of the few artists who plays the harmonium solo and has done for the past 15 years – having performed in over 25 countries.
“I was always keen on making it as a solo player and unlike other harmonium players who aspire to accompany great maestros, I aspire to be a harmonium maestro myself,” he says.
Ghante has performed with heavy metal bands as well as in Bollywood and conducts workshops around the world.
“The harmonium is probably the most popular among the accompanying instruments in Hindustani classical music,” says classical vocalist Priya Kanungo. “It is an easier instrument to learn compared to, say, the sarangi, and when played judiciously, can raise the bar of a concert.”
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
The%20specs
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
PRISCILLA
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
