BHAVA - Harmoniums

Bhava founder Nic Dillon has been importing harmoniums from Delhi to the USA since 2010 and sells them in his store Old Delhi Music. Nic has worked with various manufacturers, knows the highly specialised craftsmen who work as day laborers for the manufacturers, and is very familiar with the conditions on site. Despite years of effort, however, he has not been able to reliably get the required consistently high quality from the established manufacturers. Therefore, Nic opened his own harmonium manufacturing in Delhi in 2020 and employs some of the best craftsmen there on a permanent basis. Since then, he gets Delhi-style harmoniums of the best quality made there to his own specifications under the brand name Bhava:
* evenly grown and well seasoned wood
* cleanly sprayed and especially durable varnish
* stainless screws and specially manufactured fittings
* extra soft bellows springs for long sustain and smooth fade-out
* high quality reeds for easy response and harmonious sound
* tasteful, noble design
* flawless exterior without scratches, dents or stains
 
The impressive quality of Bhava Harmoniums has not been matched by any other harmonium maker in the Delhi region. It meets western standards and can only be compared to the quality of Paloma's harmoniums and shrutiboxes. India Instruments has been carrying Bhava Harmoniums since 2022.
 
Bhava is also a pioneer in social responsibility and strives for certification under a fair trade label. All craftsmen work without time pressure in clean, air-conditioned and well-lit premises. They are permanently employed and receive fair salaries. Permanent employment gives them and their families access to government health, education and retirement benefits. In contrast, day labourer harmonium craftsmen are paid mostly by the piece and thus work permanently under time pressure. They often work in cramped, dark and poorly ventilated rooms, can be replaced at any time, lose their income in case of illness, have no access to state social benefits and are sometimes in debt bondage to their employers.
 
Ecological issues also play a role for Bhava. The high quality of the tools used and the instruments produced ensures a particularly long service life. All woods are purchased on official, state-controlled markets. Protected woods are not used. Waste in production is avoided as much as possible and recycled as much as possible. Overseas, the instruments are preferably shipped by sea freight.