Pre-Partition harmonium by Kartar Singh, Anarkali, Lahore

I came across a harmonium made before Partition, its fading label still carrying the proud words:

KARTAR SINGH
HARMONIUM MAKER
ANARKALLI, LAHORE

and in Punjabi (Gurmukhi):

ਕਰਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਹਾਰਮੋਨਿਯਮ ਮੇਕਰ ਅਨਾਰਕਲੀ ਲਾਹੌਰ

This simple label tells the story of Kartar Singh, a craftsman rooted in Anarkali, Lahore, whose hands once shaped instruments that became the heartbeat of gatherings. It carries me back to a time when Anarkali and nearby Langa Mandi in Taxali were alive with the rhythm of chisels, hammers, and the fine-tuning of reeds — true hubs of musical instrument making in the city. In those narrow, bustling lanes, craftsmen like Kartar Singh, along with others such as Partab Singh and Rakhi Ram, poured their artistry into harmoniums that would accompany singers, qawwals, and kirtanis across Punjab.

Each instrument bore the unique touch of its maker — the wood carved by hand, the bellows fitted with care, and the reeds tuned with patient precision. Unlike the mass-produced harmoniums of later years, these had a soul of their own, alive with both the perfections and imperfections of craftsmanship.

Partition in 1947 scattered this community of artisans, many migrating across the border to India. With them went the music of their workshops, leaving the lanes of Anarkali and Langa Mandi quieter, their echoes fading. Today, a harmonium bearing a label like that of Kartar Singh survives as more than just an instrument — it is a relic of Lahore’s once-thriving culture of music and craftsmanship, a reminder of a city where melodies were born not just from voices but from the patient hands of its makers.