mumbai at sitarmaker gully in miraj worldfamous for its tanpuras and sitars business is bleak the small town in maharashtras sugar belt is known for hereditary craftsmen whose instruments have been used by generations of hindustani music vocalists and their disciples it is here that the kirana gharana founder abdul karim khan lived and is buriedhowever the pandemic has hit the master craftsmen hard there have been barely any new orders since the lockdown began the lack of transport has also made it difficult to send their instruments both within india and abroad this year i expect business to be 50 down says 64year old niyaz ahmed who goes by the name balasaheb mirajkar and is a sixth generation sitarmaker read the full story on toi in home of sitars tanpuras covid deepens economic strain