I'm going to New Delhi next month and I'd like to bring back a sitar. . Do you have some good addresses or advices to find a good instrument in a reasonable price range ?
yes. . .
i am from india ./pune
but when ur in delhi
please ask for rujudaa. . . .
he makes sitars for ravi shankar too. .
do bargain a lot. .
he has some very good instruments. . . . .
also. .i think bhargav. .as a shop in delhi. . . .
do enquire about that too
if u want i could give u a number of pandit ravi shankars student see if u can get him to select a instrument for u. . . . .
best of luck
kedar
india/pune
They are in central delhi area, http://www.rikhiram.com. I suggest you contact them at least 1 month ahead so that they can get a sitar ready for you. You cannot just pick one from the store.
Well, actually you can pick one from the Rikhi Ram shop. I did and they will set it up while you wait. Where ever you get an instrument dont leave without a Fiberglass case for it. If they dont have one where you want to buy the instrument then buy one in another shop!
Bargin hard! If you are without knowledge than bring a friend!
But really, beware! there are a loooot of people wanting to help you with this, and want to take you to their uncles sitar shop. If you ask tsomeone about a shop, specially taxi or ricshaw drivers they will suggest many places, if you have the time then check them out. It will give you an overview of what the marked is like. Loads of tourist instrumants and nice wall decorators. Supreeme quality instruments is something you need to look for. you can find then in any shop, but in general the more established makers with a good reputation will supply the qualiti you search for.
Regarding costs, the price in europe and the states is not relevant. Everything is less expensive in India. Overweight on the flight might be a problem, and are rewarded with a solid withdraw from your wisa account at the airport.
i had to pay 7200 RS (for the extra kilos of my Rikhi Ram Sitar) Not alot, but a budget is a budget. .
the instrument can be anything from 8000 RS and up. .
i got to go, my kid is in the bathtub and wants out : )
look if you want to buy a sitar from rikhi ram, YOU NEVER TELL THEM YOU LIVE OUTSIDE INDIA!! If its obvious that you aren't indian then dont go yourself, have a indian friend buy the sitar for you. Make sure that the buyer thinks you're from out of town like calcutta or bombay because then you will get the real price not some doubled or tripled one for being someone who lives outside the country and has money. Also, bargain alot because you can lower the price by at least 15%. And you might want to go early because the more time thay have to set up your sitar, the better it will be. Also try to make sure your friend is a fairly decent sitarist because, you do want a quality instrument. If your friend cannot play then tell him/her to just give you a picture of the prices for different quality sitars. If all else fail;s just pay the jacked up price, after all he is the best maker in the world and that quality isn't easy to pass up.
Hi Lionel,
Please take this into consideration. There are 2 shops in Delhi making Rikhi Ram instruments, one is the well known one and the other is Sanjay Sharma who is the grandson of Rikhi Ram and has recently started his own shop regardless of the rumours to the contrary. I believe he will emerge to be the leading maker in India. He makes the best but will also make something quite acceptable if you're on a budget. He's also a great promoter of the art and travels to the West to do repairs and lecture demonstrations. Also, you can tell him where you're from, you won't get ripped off. He's a personal friend, tell him I (Lars from Sitars Etc.) recommended him to you. . He may need some lead time so you may want to email him at sanjay@rikhiram.org or visit his site at http://www.rikhiram.org which is still under construction. I don't receive anything from this other than the pleasure of knowing there is a happy sitar player. . .nuff said. . .good luck and have fun!
Lars
Well, i did not pay for it my self. But the price was 20.000 RS. But note that this is not including a carryingcase, air fair (for me and the sitar) or Insurance. This price is a "pickup in the shop in India" price, if you were to order the Instrument from outside of India, you would most likely see the price go up a minimum of 1000$ plus shipping added. So unless you are going to India its really not a good idea to order a instrument in that way.
One will have no problem what so ever to find more expensive deals in India. I have a Vilayat Khan style Sitar, the Ravi Shankar models are more expensive. I dont know the price of them, sorry.
Stephen!
Yes, yes. . i see it to!
The thing is that Lars, the great guy he is, has allready given me a helpfull hand on this one. So he has somone picking them up for me : ) . And to top that off, I just got to know, i have friends that are in Delhi just about now. .
Over at AACM, they sell the single gourd Vilayat Khan style for the same price as a double gourd Calcutta brand name, over $1500. Those are inflated US prices. You really should be able to make a better deal in India! Otherwise, why bother?
Sure the prices are lower in India! What do you expect?
Its really easy to see the logic here. If you go to India its convinient to buy the instrument there, its less pricy. But remember you have to include all the additional expenses i was talking about. Ask RR what it costs to send the instrument to your home adress, with insuranse and be sure to get info on how they handle the situation if the instrument is damaged, is not quite what you expectet, needs a jawari or if you have any other complaints. .
