The Final Beat: Peshawar’s Dying Art Of Handcrafted Classical Instruments

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2025) Hidden deep within the winding alleyways of old Peshawar, a fading melody reverberates the rhythmic thump of a hand drum and soulful strum of a rabab, which is slowly slipping into silence.

These classical instruments are not just sounds but living remnants of a centuries-old musical heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that is slowly disappearing in the city of artisans.

In Mohallah Shah Burhan near historic Qissa Khwani bazaar, a handful of aging artisans continued a legacy of making classical musical instruments by hand, which their families have practiced for generations.

Ahmad Ali, one of the few remaining craftsmen of musical instruments in Peshawar, gently hammers a stretched animal hide across the face of a table to make a traditional hand drum. He adjusts the strings of a rabab, coaxing a tune from its wooden body. This is a craft inherited from his grandfather, Rahim Buksh, who migrated from Gujranwala and laid the foundation for a small workshop nearly a century ago.

“The knack of preparing classical instruments is in danger of extinction due to lack of KP Govt patronage,” Ahmad Ali says, a quiet resignation in his voice. “We are among the last who know this craft and our children have no interest in continuing it due to low profit.”

Ahmad said modern music trends and economic hardships, besides social media addiction, especially among youth, have taken a toll on this dying art. In a world dominated by electronic beats and DJs, demand for handmade instruments like tabla and rabab plummeted. The younger generation, faced with dwindling income and unstable livelihoods, has turned away from this craft in Peshawar.

“Crafting a pair of tabla is no easy feat. It takes 20 to 25 days of painstaking labour, from treating animal hides to pounding iron into powder and this process requires both skills, time and physical strength,” Ahmad told APP.

He said a rabab takes around 10 to 12 days to complete. Rahim Mujtaba, Ahmad’s elder brother, has been working in the same shop for over 45 years. Despite the pride in his unique work, he said it was heartening that people’s lackluster response to traditional musical instruments in KP.

“Fifteen years of economic downturn have badly affected our profession,” Rahim lamented. “This is not just a job but a physically exhausting art that requires passion and patience. But that is not enough to pay utility bills anymore and we are seriously thinking of switching to other professions.”

A hand drum set sells for around Rs 20,000 to 30,000, and a rabab costs around Rs 8,000 to 10,000, he said, adding that in a shrinking market of Peshawar, sales are rare, and most income now comes from repairing old instruments, a service even more in demand as new instruments become harder to come by.

Shahzaib Khan, a young tabla player from Nowshera, traveled all the way to Peshawar just to get his drum repaired to continue his music passion. “There’s no one left in our area who can fix these properly,” he said. “Classical musicians like me are financially unable to purchase new instruments. We barely get booked once or twice a month and the pay is barely enough to make both hands meet.”

Local singer Dilaram Khan, who performs traditional Pashto music, says lovers of classical music are still many, but the support system around them is crumbling. “If an instrument breaks or goes out of tune, we have to send it to Lahore and wait weeks for repairs due to lack of such facilities in Peshawar.”

“Peshawar,” which is a historic name of Peshawar, translates to “Skilled Person,” reflecting its past as a hub of artisans. From music to metalwork, the city once thrived on its rich traditions. But today, that identity is fading due to social media invasion.

Fayaz Khan, a teacher and music enthusiast, warns that the disappearance of skilled drum makers could have negative effects on the overall health of society. “Even if performances of artists increase due to the mushrooming of music shows on tv channels or cultural events, what’s the point if no one can tune or repair the instruments?” he asked.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture Department’s spokesman said the department is well aware of these challenges. He said under support to the "living human treasure” initiative, stipends of Rs 30,000 were given to around 500 artists, including musicians and tabla players. But the project later closed due to financial constraints.

“We understand the impact of economic pressure on such communities,” the spokesman said. “We are planning more projects to support them, including those who make traditional instruments in Peshawar and other parts of the province.”

Still, for artisans like Ahmad Ali and Rahim Mujtaba, time is running out. Without new apprentices, their tools may be laid down and shops shuttered; besides, traditional music would be silenced. And in such a negative scenario, Peshawar would likely lose not just a craft, but a piece of its musical soul for which it was once famous internationally.