Rourkela: Even as there is no dearth of musical instruments in the market, the ones fashioned by Pramila Rohidas, a septuagenarian female instrument maker from Purulia of West Bengal, are the first choice of customers here.
“I do my job with lots of passion that not only attracts customers, it has also kept me active at this age,” said Pramila who has been making musical instruments like tabla, mridangam, dholki, nagra, drums, mardala and damru for over 40 years.
Despite availability of a wide range of instruments in the market, customers pick the gadgets designed by Pramila as they stand out in the crowd, it was learnt.
Pramila’s husband Krishna extends a helping hand to her. She not only makes new instruments, people come to her to repair their old ones. Pramila has not only customers in Fertilizer Township, Kanshabahal, Koida, Tensa, Rajgangpur, Bishra and Nuagaon region in Sundargarh district, she is sought by buyers in Manoharpur, Simdega and Ranchi of Jharkhand.
Due to shortage of cash in hand, she returns the orders, said Pramila.
The couple of Ganesh Basti has a small outlet behind the Gundicha Temple in Sector-5.
When asked about the sources of raw materials used in her instrument, Pramila said she collects them from Kolkata.
While the vessel required for a ‘digi’ costs Rs 200, she has to spend Rs525 for a tabla. The couple takes at least three days to make a set of digi and tabla which they sell at something between Rs2,000 and Rs2,500.
The price charged by Pramila is less than what others demand in the market, felt the customers.
They never forget to appreciate the commitment of the couple to their profession even at this age.
The tablas made by Pramila are popular among music lovers of the city, said Bibhuti Das, a well known tablist. . He has not found a single flaw in the instruments even as the couple is in the twilight of their lives, Das added.
Dhaneswar Mukhi of Sector-6 said he has ordered a dholki for his son who is learning to play the instrument.
Even as the age is catching up with her, the love and appreciation of customers has kept her going, said the instrument maker. PNN