In a small Chennai workshop, 28-year-old Tharun Sekar meticulously carves the wooden frame of a musical instrument that had nearly vanished from Indian culture. This instrument, the Yazh, is a 2000-year-old harp-like string instrument once favoured by Tamil kings and celebrated in the third Sangam-era literature.
For centuries, it remained confined to history books and museum displays — until Tharun took on the challenge of reviving it. Founder of Uru Instruments, Tharun is on a mission to revive and modernise long-lost traditional Indian instruments and take them to the global audience.
A quest to revive traditional instruments
Tharun’s passion for instruments began early. “I was making guitars when I was 16 years old since we couldn’t find many guitars in Madurai,” shares Tharun, an experience that laid the foundation for his journey into instrument-making.
In 2017, an internship in Pondicherry as a part of his architecture course introduced him to various aspects of instrument making. “I was fortunate to learn from luthier Erisaneogy for a year. I learnt to make acoustic, electric guitars and the ukulele,” he adds.
“After finishing college, I was considering instrument-making full-time,” says Tharun. “While Western instruments are popular, I was driven by the question of why our instruments weren’t reaching a global audience.”
He explains, “While we have been manufacturing our musical instruments in the same design for a long time, I wanted to present them according to modern standards in the global market.” This vision led him to launch ‘Uru Instruments’ in 2019 with the idea of making a global appeal to the rooted Indian instruments.
Reinventing the Yazh
The Yazh was not Tharun’s initial choice for reinvention — he had also considered the Veena and a few instruments from West Bengal. However, a conversation with his friend changed everything. “I came across Yazh through my friend Shiva. At that time, he was involved in architectural documentation like the one in Keezhadi. He asked me to make a Yazh.”
Intrigued, Tharun delved into research and was shocked to realise how little was known about the instrument. “I realised that we don’t have a playable instrument named Yazh at all in the market. Usually, Yazh is imagined as an instrument seen in MGR movies, but it is a lost instrument,” he shares.
“For a long time, nobody has been playing Yazh, and did not know the sound of the actual instrument,” he adds.
Determined to reconstruct the Yazh, he searched for references. “I wanted to find information on the internet, but I found just two images. Searching to find more information about Yazh, I got to know about the ancient Tamil writing through a few friends,” he adds.
Building from metaphors and history
Tharun’s breakthrough came when a friend, PG Saravanan, introduced him to classical Tamil works of literature where the Yazh was mentioned. “We started to read works of literature like Silapathikaram, Seevagasindhamani, Tholkappiyam, Kurunthogai, Thirukkural, Natrinai, and many more where there was a mention about Yazh, and I was completely hooked on the instrument,” he explains.
One of the most fascinating aspects of his research was deciphering the instrument’s design through poetic metaphors. “We won’t have direct information about the instrument but rather it would be hidden behind uvamai (metaphors in Tamil),” shares Tharun.
“Phrases like ‘The sound of Yazh was like honey’, ‘The bend of Yazh was like the belly of an eight-month pregnant woman’ are just entry-level metaphors; there are many in-depth ones. Based on these references, we started to trace the structure of the instrument.”
It took Tharun a year of research and designing to create the first playable Yazh. He worked on the woodwork himself, while a craftsman from Madurai assisted with the brass components, and another artisan helped with the stand.
“While we were involved in research, I started making the instrument parallelly. Once I cracked the design, I started with the woodwork myself. For the brass work, we had a craftsman from Madurai, and we had another person make the stand,” he explains.
As the only person involved in the design, Tharun takes care of the woodwork, while outsourcing experts from Chennai, Pondicherry, and Madurai to carve wings, the body etc. “They are the best people in Tamil Nadu, and people who are involved in the craft are just a handful,” shares Tharun. He adds that around 30 people are involved in the manufacturing ecosystem.
The best part — all of the instruments are handcrafted with precision to detail. “We don’t have any CMC machines involved. The carving is handmade, and the machines used are just hand tools,” he adds.
For the instrument’s sound, Tharun relied on literary descriptions and a book titled Yazh Nool (1947) by Vipulananda Adigalar. “The parts of the Yazh were mentioned in the book like Athar (a resonator), Thandu (a part where you tie the strings), Aani (a tuning key), and the like. Based on the usage of the parts, we can understand how the instrument would have sounded,” he explains.
To reconstruct its resonance, he compared Yazh with similar ancient instruments from different cultures, including the Greek Lyre, Burmese Harp, and African Harp. “Usually, all global instruments at the same time always have some similarities. There was the Greek lyre, the Burmese harp, the African harp, and other instruments that were similar to Yazh,” he adds.
Starting with Sengoti Yazh, Uru Instruments has also revived different types of Yazh like Sagoda Yazh, Kaivizhi Yazh, Seeri Yazh, and Paeri Yazh. “The number of strings, weight, shape, toning etc differs from each yazh,” shares Tharun who has added the differences in toning based on today’s usability, catering to the needs of the artist.
Uru Instruments has also revived the Kudamuzha, a five-faced drum which is found in the Thiruvaraur temple. “It is 4 feet in height and weighs 200 kg. We have made that in under 5 kg as a compact and portable version,” Tharun shares.
Taking Yazh to the global stage
Over the past five years, Uru Instruments has sold around 80 instruments, with Yazh being their primary product. Remarkably, 95% of their sales have been outside India, with customers in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, France, and Dubai. “People abroad definitely know the value of Yazh,” Tharun says.
One notable international musician, Ganavya, has also adopted the Yazh. “She has a Yazh and has been playing it well. She has songs in accompaniment of the instrument and is popular for having worked with AR Rahman as well,” Tharun shares.
Despite generating good revenue, the bootstrapped company has yet to turn a profit as most earnings are reinvested into research and development. “All the money we take, we invest back. Since these are physical products, we invest the money we obtain back into the making of the same,” Tharun says.
Crafting a Yazh is a time-intensive process. “Having first-hand manufacturing experience during my internship at Uru Instruments, a lot of physical labour goes behind crafting and carving the instruments,” shares Varshini I, the company’s administrative head.
The basic model takes about three months, while more intricate versions can take eight to twelve months, and the largest ones require nearly two years. “People are very patient to collect the finished product. Over the years, I have never been without orders. Some people have been wanting to own a Yazh for a long time, and we have fulfilled their dreams,” Tharun shares with pride.
Yazh prices start at Rs 36,000 and can go up to Rs 4.5 lakh, with all sales conducted online. However, customers are welcome to visit the Uru Instruments office in Kodambakkam, Chennai, to see and play the instruments.
Uru Paanar: A band exploring Tamil instruments
Tharun has also taken his passion a step further by forming a unique band called Uru Paanar, consisting of eight members dedicated to exploring the sounds of Tamil instruments. His vision was to create an orchestra-like experience using only Tamil instruments.
“We have composed an album set for release in May 2025, featuring seven songs inspired by Tholkappiyam (a 2000-year-old Tamil grammar book), depicting the emotions of a human life cycle from birth to death,” shares Tharun.
“Making the instrument was not a big thing. The fact that these people came forward to play those instruments and create an album out of it was huge for me,” says Tharun showing the usability of Yazh.
The musicians, all young artists, underwent rigorous practice sessions from 6 am to 10 pm for three months. The album was recorded old-school, live, and in a single take, ensuring authenticity in its sound.
Beyond Yazh: The next chapter
While Yazh remains Uru Instruments’ flagship product, Tharun has larger aspirations. “Right now, we want to work on each state in India and find out an important instrument from that state. We are in the search for that,” he reveals. His mission is to uncover and revive India’s lesser-known musical heritage, ensuring that traditional instruments do not fade into obscurity.
Through Uru Instruments, Tharun Sekar has not only resurrected the Yazh but has also reignited a conversation about Tamil music’s lost legacy. With a dedicated band, a growing international presence, and an ever-expanding vision, he is well on his way to leaving an indelible mark on the world of music.
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Edited by Arunava Banerjee. All images courtesy Uru Instruments.
