Howrah, West Bengal

Uluberia handmade sitar, tabla and harmonium

Howrah district hosts one of the biggest musical-instrument clusters in India, centred on the Uluberia block villages of Dhulasimla, RangMahal, Maikhali and Dadpur. The cluster dates to just after independence (close to 70 years old), and eminent musicians including Pandit Ravi Shankar have used instruments procured from this area. Artisans hand-make sitars, tablas, harmoniums and other traditional instruments in small workshops. A buyer gets a traditionally crafted instrument, often to order, at far lower prices than big-city music stores.

Typical price: ₹500-15000

Buying tip: Visit the Uluberia workshop cluster in person and test tuning, tone and finish before paying; sitars and harmoniums can often be made to order and shipped.