Mondal Harmonium Works

We are located in Nadiakalyani, where things are a bit slower than the big city. Mondal Harmonium Works is basically just a room full of wood, bellows, and reeds. Making a harmonium takes a lot of time and a very quiet space to hear the tuning. We spend hours sitting on small stools, fitting pieces together. The wood has to be seasoned just right or the sound will be off. My father taught me how to listen to the reeds, and now I’m doing the same. We don't use big machines for everything; a lot of it is done with hand tools that have been around for years. Sometimes the shop is messy with wood shavings everywhere, but we know where everything is. People travel from other villages to get their instruments fixed or to buy a new one. We don't have a website or anything like that. If you want to talk to us, you just come to the shop. It’s a specialized craft, and there aren't many of us left who do it the old way. We don't rush the work. If a harmonium isn't sounding right, it stays on the bench until it is. It’s a humble business, but it keeps the music going in our community. We’re usually here from sunrise till the light fades in the evening, and we always have a kettle of tea on the stove for guests.