At 28, Tharun Sekar is reviving India’s forgotten instruments through Uru Instruments, a workshop he started in 2019 with a deep cultural mission.
Tharun started building guitars at 16. Lack of access made him learn by doing — an early spark that would later lead to reviving ancient instruments.
“The sound of Yazh was like honey… it's bent like a pregnant woman’s belly.” Tharun used ancient Tamil metaphors to decode its design.
A book called Yazh Nool helped too. “The parts were listed: athar, thandu, aani, each gave clues about sound, form, and function,” he says.
Every Yazh is handmade — no CNC machines. Only wood, brass, hand tools, and the skills of 30 artisans from across Tamil Nadu bring it to life.
To recreate its tone, Tharun studied global harps: Greek lyre, Burmese harp, African instruments, all sharing elements with the Yazh.
Tharun first built the Sengoti Yazh. Now Uru makes many versions: Sagoda, Seeri, Paeri, each differing in tone, shape, and number of strings.
Over 95% of Yazhs made by Uru Instruments are now owned abroad—in the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and more. International musicians like Ganavya play it too.
He also formed Uru Paanar, a band using only Tamil instruments. Their first album, based on Tholkappiyam, explores life from birth to death.
Tharun now aims to revive a forgotten instrument from every Indian state, ensuring India’s musical legacy is never lost again.