Calls to phase the harmonium out from Gurmat Sangeet ignore a rich history

The harmonium is actually of French provenance. But before Alexandre Debain patented it in Paris in 1840, a prototype was designed by German doctor, physicist and engineer Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein. Debain’s instrument travelled all over Europe and later to India because it was cheaper than others and quite heat resistant. So, it’s safe to say that the harmonium came to India from the West but the British can be credited only with introducing it in India. The hand-pumped version that one sees today was created by Kolkata-based musician, Dwarkanath Ghose, in 1875. It was smaller, portable, and economical. The peti, as it was called then, went everywhere — silent films had the petiwala sit in the pit in front and play, and later it became an integral part of the golden era of Indian music. It made its way to temples bhajans and qawwalis in the Subcontinent, and even in the elite system of Hindustani classical music, which found that using it made the initial vocal training much easier for children. There was a time, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country, when young brides were given the harmonium by parents as a wedding gift.

In Gurbani, where the Guru’s baani through shabad and kirtan is the only truth to be imbibed, the instrument has been a beautiful addition. The harmonium is Indian. How can one forget the day when it sat next to melody queen Lata Mangeshkar as she sang “Aye mere watan ke logon”, while a nation and its then prime minister wept?

This editorial first appeared in the print edition on May 24, 2022 under the title ‘An integral music’.