Crafting the Beat: The Tabla Maestro Behind Zakir Hussain's Rhythm

Haridas Vhatkar, renowned as the 'Steinway of the tabla', dedicated his life to crafting exquisite tablas for the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain. Beginning in 1998 with Zakir's father, Haridas forged a lifelong bond with the musician, creating countless tablas that became essential to Zakir's iconic performances.

Haridas Vhatkar, lauded as the 'Steinway of the tabla,' played an integral role in crafting the rhythmic instruments for Ustad Zakir Hussain, the virtuoso whose music transcended global and genre boundaries.

Despite the irregularity of their interactions, Vhatkar's dedication to creating quality tablas for Hussain, an association starting from the days of Hussain's father, forged a bond enduring two decades, during which Vhatkar became Hussain's go-to craftsman for creating and maintaining his tabla collection.

The late Hussain acknowledged Vhatkar's artisanal devotion, even setting up a stipend to ensure Vhatkar's sustainability while creating instruments favored for their unmatched craftsmanship—earning his tablas the reputation of being the finest.

(With inputs from agencies.)