Guwahati, June 16 -- The historic town of Miraj, nestled in the Sangli district of southern Maharashtra near the Karnataka border, might seem unassuming at first glance. A modest railway junction, dusty marketplaces, and quiet residential neighborhoods give no immediate indication of the town's deeper significance. Yet for over 150 years, Miraj has held a unique place on India's cultural map-not only as a center of classical music but as the beating heart of a handcrafted legacy that continues to produce some of the world's finest stringed instruments.

Walk down the narrow street once known as Sitarmaker Galli-now officially Faridsaheb Sitarmaker Marg-and you enter a world where wood, metal, and human touch converge to create soundscapes...