In the quiet alleys of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, artisans trace centuries-old rhythms through a craft rooted in wood, skin, and devotion. In The Better India’s photo series, we glimpse the village humbled by the scent of neem wood and the hum of hand-operated lathes shaping tabla shells. Each groove, curve, and shave is rendered with care and passed-down precision this isn’t industry, it’s heritage in motion.

The story follows Rajiv Kr Prajapati—owner of Ram Musical Handicrafts and chairperson of the Dholak Hastkala Association—whose lineage began with his grandfather in 1950 and persists through his own hands today. “What we make carries India’s soul,” he says, underlining that these round wooden drums are more than instruments—they’re inherited identity.

Creating tabla is a multi-step ritual: from selecting seasoned sheesham or neem for resonance, soaking and cutting goatskin, carving shells on a traditional lathe, to applying the iconic black syahi for tonal richness and tuning each drum by hand.