From Banned to Beloved: The Curious Case of the Harmonium in Indian Music
There was a time when the humble harmonium—now a staple in bhajans, ghazals, classical concerts, and living room singalongs—was treated like a musical outlaw. Yes, really. In the early 20th century, All India Radio (AIR), the country’s official mouthpiece for music, banned the harmonium. The reason? It wasn’t Indian enough.
Let’s rewind.
Imported from Europe in the mid-19th century, the harmonium was initially greeted with cautious curiosity. Indian musicians were used to stringed drones and wind-blown reeds, not a wooden suitcase with bellows. But what it lacked in traditional roots, it made up for in portability, simplicity, and—let’s be honest—a certain je ne sais quoi that made it perfect for everything from Hindustani ragas to film songs to backyard bhajans.
So why the ban?
When All India Radio took on the lofty mission of defining and preserving authentic Indian music, the harmonium got the short end of the stick (or should we say reed?). Western origin? Check. Fixed pitches that could not handle Indian microtones (shruti)? Double check. The AIR bureaucrats and classical purists of the time decided that this “colonial contraption” was contaminating the purity of Indian music. In 1940, AIR officially banned the harmonium from its broadcasts.
Musicians were flabbergasted. Imagine telling a bhajan singer in full flow to swap out their harmonium for a tanpura and a lot of optimism. Or asking a ghazal artist to keep perfect pitch with a swarmandal and divine grace alone.
But the harmonium had the last laugh.
Like a filmi hero making a surprise return in the third act, the harmonium refused to fade into obscurity. It showed up at mehfils, mandirs, gurdwaras, and marriage halls. It became the backbone of devotional music, the sidekick of the classical vocalist, and the secret weapon of filmi composers.
By the 1970s, AIR had to quietly lift the ban. (We imagine the memo read something like: “If you can’t beat the box, broadcast the box.”)
Today, the harmonium is not just accepted—it’s adored. It’s been Indianized, customized, even glamorized. It may have come from the West, but like potatoes, democracy, and denim, we made it ours.
So next time you see someone lovingly pumping away at a harmonium during your local satsang, remember: you’re listening to a musical rebel that beat the odds—and the bureaucracy.
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