Mateshwari's Piano from Bevan and Co.

Mateshwari saw a large piano in Bevans, a music shop in Library, Mussoorie. She wished that Her sons Pran-Priya learn to play upon it. HH Pran Nath and HH Priya Nath visited the music shop frequently and played upon the piano, and grew very fond of it. The desire to bring it home began to grow in them. It would make Mateshwari happy. But the grand piano was much too expensive a thing to purchase for the casual pursuit of a hobby. Just then, however, the music shop shut down in Mussoorie, and the owner became eager to sell everything there and shift his residence elsewhere. He sold the piano at a very nominal price and virtually gave the piano away to them for Rs.500 only! HH Pran Nath and HH Priya Nath, fingers danced over its keys in jubilation, even as its vibrant notes resonated in the halls of Savitri Nivas, to the joy of Mateshwari. In the above photograph of 1975 we can see HH Priya Nathji playing the same Piano.

Bevan and Co exists as Pratap Music House in Dehra Dun these days. Its owner is still alive and is in his 80's. He vividly remembers those days, when Shri Nathji and His family were the frequent visitors to his shop.  He now has shops in Canada and the US which his brother and sons are running. His grandfather had founded the first shop in 1883 in Lahore, now in Pakistan. The founder was one of the well known Tabla player of his times He come down to Lahore from Afghanistan where he was in the kings court imparting knowledge of music. Later the family had this store at Liberary area in Mussorie and then after partition they closed the store at Lahore and shifted it to Dehradun. The closed the shop at Mussorie and shifted permanently to Dehradun.  The owner of the store in Mussoorie found a place as the music director in the theatres before the movies came into the world scene. The founder’s grand son, now being a very eminent Veena player of India's repute runs this house in dehradun India and the other son looks after the international aspects of the music house from Canada.

Its complete address is Pratap Music House, Astley Hall, Near Clock Tower, Rajpur Road, Dehradun - 248 001, Uttarakhand, India. Its telephone number is - +(91)-(135)-2657533 and the contact person is Mr. Ajit Singh.

It now specializes in Exotic Musical Instruments, from around the world like African Djembes, Turkish Drums, Japanese Shougahachies, Sitars, Tablas etc.