The Cracked Taus and the C-Harmonium
A government school in Ludhiana has a taus donated five years ago, a harmonium tuned to C, a tabla set, and a dilruba with two broken strings. The taus has a hairline crack near the resonator, one peg missing, and its main playing string has not been changed for two years; when bowed, it produces a dull, wavering Sa. The school kirtan group must accompany a shabad in Raag Dhanasri at the district function in ten days. The music teacher wants to use the taus because 'Gurmat Sangeet should use traditional instruments', but the student who plays it says the cracked body makes the Sa unstable and the missing peg causes the string to slip. The harmonium is reliable, but the teacher fears it is not 'traditional'. The group has a budget of ₹1,500 and no professional repairer within 40 km.
1. Assess the taus's condition and decide whether it can be used in ten days. What are the structural issues?
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The crack in the resonator is structural, not cosmetic: it affects the air chamber, so the Sa will not hold and the tone will be dull. A missing peg means the string cannot be tuned to stable tension; the old string adds false overtones and slippage. With ₹1,500 and no repairer, a proper repair - gluing and clamping the crack, fitting a matching peg, restringing - is unlikely to be reliable in ten days. Using it in performance risks a public breakdown. The instrument's traditional status does not cancel the defect; a damaged taus is not more maryada-compliant than a tuned harmonium.
2. How should the teacher balance 'traditional instrument' against reliability?
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Maryada is about the shabad, raag and intent, not about forcing a broken instrument onto the stage. Use the harmonium for the performance if it is the only stable accompaniment, and keep the taus out of the critical set. If a traditional instrument must be visible, repair the dilruba's two strings if the cost is within budget and use it for a short alaap, or borrow a working taus from a nearby gurdwara. The teacher should explain to the students that a traditional instrument is valued when it is playable, not as a prop.
3. What should be done with the dilruba and the ₹1,500?
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Get a quote for two strings and a peg; restringing the dilruba is likely cheaper than repairing the taus. If the dilruba can hold tune, use it for the alaap or a quiet accompaniment, but not as the sole accompaniment unless the player is confident. Spend on strings and a tuner; do not spend on a cosmetic repair of the taus that will not stabilize the Sa. If no repair is possible, record the taus's condition and request a repair grant after the function.