Strings of legacy: the lone veena-maker of Nuzvid

Nestled in the narrow lane opposite the now-defunct Apsara Theatre in Nuzvid, a town famed for its luscious mangoes, the third house from the entrance looks markedly different from its neighbours. Unlike the well-maintained, urbane-looking houses, this house lays bare its brickwork, giving off an incomplete, rickety appearance. Yet, within this modest-looking abode thrives a legacy of cultural richness.

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This is the house of Sheikh Mabu Saheb, 50, where more than 70 or 80 Veenas — India’s national instrument — reside alongside the dying craft of making them. “Just like playing a veena, making it is a skill which only a few can master,” says Sheikh Mabu, seated on the floor surrounded by his tools and materials, carefully sandpapering a veena. Brushes, paint bottles, wooden logs, chisellers and hammers of all shapes and sizes lie scattered around him, each playing a role in the designing and making of the instrument.‘This is a Madhura Veena. It is distinguishable by its pear-shaped body. This particular one is bound for overseas,” he says, while meticulously brushing the sandpaper over the veena’s wooden surface. Nearby hang rows of finished and unfinished veenas, ready to be dispatched upon receipt of an order.