Jump to content

Bringing back a dilruba from India


LudhianaLion
 Share

Recommended Posts

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa

WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh

I hope someone can help me with a query I have.

I'm travelling to Punjab in a few weeks. I have set up a meeting with Dr Gurnam Singh (Patiala University) and I hope to buy a dilruba while I'm in Punjab with his advice. The issue is, will I encounter many problems when bringing it back to the UK?

I'm flying with Air India (I know, I know!) from London to Delhi and I have a 46kg baggage allowance. However, will I have any taxes to pay, or staff telling me it's too big to take in the hold or worse, is it likely to be manhandled and arrive broken?

Does anyone have any personal experience of bringing back a dilruba or similar large, fragile instrument out of India?

Also, any tips on where to buy from or the best wood? Any indication on what I would expect to pay? I've been advised to source a dilruba made from a single piece of wood rather than two separate parts. I'm afraid I have little to no knowledge on musical instruments. My young son has indicated a preference to learn a musical instrument when he learns kirtan and he has suggested he would like to learn a traditional instrument than the harmonium. I can't play any instrument and would like to take it up too - hence, the proposed meeting with Bhai Dr Gurnam Singh to speak with him and learn a little from his vast experience.

Hopefully, some of my brothers and sisters can help me with their own experiences!

(I'm really sorry if this topic doesn't fit in this section - mods, please feel free to move).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How much does a good dilruba or taus cost if you buy it from Punjab?

I would love to learn sometime in the future. The only people I've seen selling are too expensive for me.

I would recommend getting a fiber glass case and pad it from the inside and check it in as an extra baggage. I brought a dhol from Punjab 3ish years ago and it cost me 150 dollars USD for an extra check in. Hope that helps.

edit- If it helps, I bought a padded soft case for the dhol and then took the dhol in the case it to the mistri who makes atta peepas and other stuff with steel sheets. He measured it and made an atta peepa out of it lol. I brought a dhol in an atta peepa all the way home. Was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it.

I think the atta peepa case cost me only around 500-600 rupees.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I brought back a dilruba from india a few years ago. you just need to check it in as oversized baggage, there is nothing extra to pay there or on arrival. Mkae sure that the clerk puts a "fragile" label on it though, so it wount get thrown around.

Good to hear that you are getting a dilruba. to the poster whowants to bring back that awful box, benti bro, bring back a dilruba instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa

WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh

I hope someone can help me with a query I have.

I'm travelling to Punjab in a few weeks. I have set up a meeting with Dr Gurnam Singh (Patiala University) and I hope to buy a dilruba while I'm in Punjab with his advice. The issue is, will I encounter many problems when bringing it back to the UK?

I'm flying with Air India (I know, I know!) from London to Delhi and I have a 46kg baggage allowance. However, will I have any taxes to pay, or staff telling me it's too big to take in the hold or worse, is it likely to be manhandled and arrive broken?

Does anyone have any personal experience of bringing back a dilruba or similar large, fragile instrument out of India?

Also, any tips on where to buy from or the best wood? Any indication on what I would expect to pay? I've been advised to source a dilruba made from a single piece of wood rather than two separate parts. I'm afraid I have little to no knowledge on musical instruments. My young son has indicated a preference to learn a musical instrument when he learns kirtan and he has suggested he would like to learn a traditional instrument than the harmonium. I can't play any instrument and would like to take it up too - hence, the proposed meeting with Bhai Dr Gurnam Singh to speak with him and learn a little from his vast experience.

Hopefully, some of my brothers and sisters can help me with their own experiences!

(I'm really sorry if this topic doesn't fit in this section - mods, please feel free to move).

Meeting Dr Gurnam Singh is an excellent idea, he will be able to guide you as they purchase a lot of instruments. I believe that he buys his instruments from Gurdial Singh and sons (Jallandhar,Punjab). These are definitely top quality dilrubas, one of the best. You could get Dr Gurnam Singh to order the dilruba for you, or maybe phone them and give a 'sifarash'. This is so that they take care with making the instrument, make it better quality and will be less likely to mess you around. Otherwise, some instrument makers don't take as much care. Here is a very good article:

http://harsangeet.com/2008/05/wanttobuyesraj/

Whoever you buy it from make sure you tell them that you are taking it abroad and it should be packed accordingly. Also, be aware of time constraints as they will tell you it will be ready by the time you go back to UK, but on the day they will make an excuse. Tell them it should be ready as early as possible.

If you are getting the dilruba for your son, you might also want to consider getting a mini dilruba rather than the full size one. You would have to get this specially made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A genuine thank you very much for all your answers. A great response with different ideas for me to consider. I will certainly look into sending the dilruba by FedEx (or similar) and perhaps the seller will have experience in this.

I hope my appointment with Dr Gurnam Singh is confirmed. I have sent representatives to approach him and ask if he does have a preferred seller and if we can get it ordered now so that it is ready for collection by late October.

Pehlvan, thanks for the link. It led me to another site which informs me that tun (or toon) wood is the preferred material for the dilruba construction. I am now better educated on what to look for and will not be a complete novice.

Many thanks once again!

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa

WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • advertisement_alt
  • advertisement_alt
  • advertisement_alt


  • Topics

  • Posts

    • yeh it's true, we shouldn't be lazy and need to learn jhatka shikaar. It doesn't help some of grew up in surrounding areas like Slough and Southall where everyone thought it was super bad for amrit dharis to eat meat, and they were following Sant babas and jathas, and instead the Singhs should have been normalising jhatka just like the recent world war soldiers did. We are trying to rectifiy this and khalsa should learn jhatka.  But I am just writing about bhog for those that are still learning rehit. As I explained, there are all these negative influences in the panth that talk against rehit, but this shouldn't deter us from taking khanda pahul, no matter what level of rehit we are!
    • How is it going to help? The link is of a Sikh hunter. Fine, but what good does that do the lazy Sikh who ate khulla maas in a restaurant? By the way, for the OP, yes, it's against rehit to eat khulla maas.
    • Yeah, Sikhs should do bhog of food they eat. But the point of bhog is to only do bhog of food which is fit to be presented to Maharaj. It's not maryada to do bhog of khulla maas and pretend it's OK to eat. It's not. Come on, bro, you should know better than to bring this Sakhi into it. Is this Sikh in the restaurant accompanied by Guru Gobind Singh ji? Is he fighting a dharam yudh? Or is he merely filling his belly with the nearest restaurant?  Please don't make a mockery of our puratan Singhs' sacrifices by comparing them to lazy Sikhs who eat khulla maas.
    • Seriously?? The Dhadi is trying to be cute. For those who didn't get it, he said: "Some say Maharaj killed bakras (goats). Some say he cut the heads of the Panj Piyaras. The truth is that they weren't goats. It was she-goats (ਬਕਰੀਆਂ). He jhatka'd she-goats. Not he-goats." Wow. This is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard in relation to Sikhi.
    • Instead of a 9 inch or larger kirpan, take a smaller kirpan and put it (without gatra) inside your smaller turban and tie the turban tightly. This keeps a kirpan on your person without interfering with the massage or alarming the masseuse. I'm not talking about a trinket but rather an actual small kirpan that fits in a sheath (you'll have to search to find one). As for ahem, "problems", you could get a male masseuse. I don't know where you are, but in most places there are professional masseuses who actually know what they are doing and can really relieve your muscle pains.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use