Strings of Silence: Kashmir’s Dying Musical Craft

In Srinagar’s fading alleys, one man guards a centuries-old musical legacy

Deep in a quiet Srinagar lane, sits a humble workshop where time seems frozen. It holds the last echoes of a dying tradition

At the heart of this story is Ghulam Mohammed Zaz — a master craftsman and possibly the last person alive who still handmakes the santoor

Zaz’s family has crafted string instruments for over seven generations, each note echoing a rich cultural heritage of Kashmir

Modern times have brought change — machine-made instruments dominate now. Handmade ones, like Zaz’s, are rare and no longer in demand

With no apprentice or successor, Zaz works alone. His art may vanish when he can no longer continue

For Zaz, the santoor isn’t just an instrument. “It has a soul,” he says. Every stroke of wood is carved with love and legacy

“I want someone who truly loves the craft,” he says, “not for the money, not for the cameras, but for the music.”

As years pass, so does the risk of losing this beautiful tradition. Will someone step up to carry the sound forward?

Until then, the music lives in his hands — the last of Kashmir’s Santoor-makers, still carving silence into song