Oriental Musikraft

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Shri Dulal Chandra Kanji

( The Maker )

Dulal Chandra Kanji is the founder and owner of the renowned music instruments making institution, 'Oriental Musikraft'. He is considered to be one of the best instruments maker in the present music industry. He is very known and highly acclaimed for his unique art in making wooden string instruments of exceptional order. In Sarod making his name is considered among the highest level after his Guru, the legendary Sarod maker Late Hemen Sen.

Dulal Babu was born in a family of cultivators in Kamalpur village as on 8th January 1944. Since very young age he was having a very keen interest in learning Indian music. But due to financial constraints in the family he was unable to attend good musical classes outside the home village. However, it's due to his immense devotion in the field of music, that he decided not to follow the path of family profession but to join musical shop of high level. The main reason for such decision was that, side by side of earning some money for the family he would be able to attain some technical lessons in music.

From the very early age, he started taking lessons of instruments making from the instruments maker Kishori Naskar. Thereafter he joined the musical shop of the most influential legendary craftsman of the time, Hemen Sen. He worked under Hemen Sen for more than twenty four years. 

He still remembers the days that he passed working with Hemen Sen. On the one side Hemen Sen was a very polite and encouraging person, but on the other side, specially at the time of instruments making and tuning of instruments, he used to be too hard. The long period that Dulal Babu passed with Hemen Sen was never been pleasing but was a rigorous training period. The continuous encouragement and strict guidance of his Master Guru, transformed him to another well known legendary craftsman in the same field of instruments making.

After the long extensive learning phases, in the year 1987, he started a new venture of his own with the cherished blessings of his Master and enormous supports of great musical legends like Padma Bhushan Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Shri Santosh Chandra, and many more. Since then a new brand of instruments of high order emerged in Kolkata with his brand name of 'Oriental Musikraft'.

Dulal Babu has two sons Sri Naba Kumar Kanji and Sri Ashok Kumar Kanji. Side by side of learning the technical aspects of instruments making from their legendary father, both the son learnt instruments playing from the great personalities like Padma Bhushan Buddhadeb Dasgupta and many more.

Presently, Dulal Babu's younger son Sri Ashok Kumar Kanji  is assisting him in running the business of Oriental Musikraft. His elder son Sri Naba Kumar Kanji has established a separate business of his own.

Dulal Babu is presently considered to be an eminent Master Guru in musical instruments making. He is highly honoured, awarded and felicitated by many distinguished personalities and organisations in the field of music. 'Sangeet Natak Akademi' (the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, set up by the Government of India) has recognized and appraised him as the Master Guru of Indian musical instruments making, and invited his presence in many occasions like 'Vadya Darshan' Projects, for the exhibitions of Indian musical instruments and demonstrations of instruments making. 'Sangeet Natak Akademi' also conferred him with the position of Master Craftsman and Guru to run Akademi Training Centers in order to train the Academi Scholars in instruments making especially the Sarod, Sitar, Surbahar and Sursringar.


Dulal Babu's instruments are highly known for its quality and art at international level. Dulal Babu never prefers in dealing with ready made instruments. He make instruments on individual basis, stressing the importance of knowing the individual performers. His each and every instruments are unique in itself as they are crafted suiting the concerned performers, in accordance with their own level, age, need, aspirations, design, body structure, financial capabilities, etc. In special occasions, based on the requisites of music performers, he make experiments with alternatives or changes in the structure and the sound of the instruments. There are many researchers who make experiments in making new instruments or instruments with different style, look or sound. Dulal Babu is such a great expert in the field of research and experiments.


Dulal Babu, since the initial learning phases to instruments making career remained close to many legendary musicians and craftsman. Interestingly, he remained in very close personal contact with legends like Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Padma Bhushan Pandit Buddhadeb Dasgupta. He throughout spent time in their close contact and closely studied their unique presentations, instrumental needs; and generously followed their musical guidance. All these experiences and unique knowledge in the music and musical instruments enriched him to become a great personality in the industry.


Dulal Babu's instruments are widely used, appraised and promoted by many musical legends and artists like  Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Padma Bhushan Pandit Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Pandit Santosh Chandra, Ustad Aashish Khan, Ustad Dhyanesh Khan, Vidushi Sharan Rani, Pandit Naren Dhar, Pandit Kamal Mullik, Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Pandit Aloke Lahiri, Pandit Shyamal Nath, Prof. Debasis Bhattacharjee, Prof. Jaydip Ghosh, and many more..