Supporting from the Heart: Sohil Warsi’s Story

Chris & Sohil

If you’ve walked near the Ramana Ashram or sipped chai at the corner shop in Tiruvannamalai, you’ve likely heard the sound of drums echoing through the street. That’s Sohil Warsi a 19-year-old with a wide smile and a deep spirit carrying over 10 kilos of handmade drums across his shoulders, from morning until night.

I first met Sohil on January 2nd 2025, the day I arrived in Tiru. He approached me with a drum in hand, asking if I wanted to buy one. I travel light, carry-on only and I told him honestly that I couldn’t. He didn’t mind. What followed were months of connection. Most days, I’d stop and chat. I saw him deal with rejection, rude comments, people who brushed him off or told him to go elsewhere.

Sohil came to Tiruvannamalai when he was just 11 years old, leaving his home in Lucknow to learn how to make and sell drums. It takes him three days to craft his largest drum. He walks for hours in the heat, with no days off, doing everything he can to earn enough for food and survival, not just for himself, but to support his family back in Lucknow as well.

A heavy weight for a young man of only 19 years old.

There are deeper layers to his struggle. The small roadside shop where Sohil borrows equipment to make his drums shuts down for 10 days every month due to the flood of people doing Girivalam. During that time, he can’t produce new drums meaning fewer chances to earn and fewer items to sell. Every delay hits him hard.

Sometimes Sohil sells drums but when he hasn’t and I ask if he’s sold any, he always replies gently: “Not yet… but I’m trying my best.”

A few weeks ago, Sohil approached me in the street, visibly distressed. I could see he was exhausted from the 39°C heat. This time of year is incredibly hot in Tiruvannamalai. He looked at me and asked softly, “Can you please buy a drum?” I wanted to help, but I had no use for one personally so I bought two small drums and gifted them to kids from two different families nearby.

After that, I sensed a little distance between us. Maybe stress, maybe discomfort. But I sat with it. I thought about his life, his effort, and what it must feel like to carry not just drums, but the burden of survival every day.

Then something shifted.

I saw Sohil again, this time weary after a draining interaction with tourists. I sat quietly and asked Ramana Maharshi inwardly: “Please help Sohil. He’s a good man trying to make an honest living.

Days later, clarity came: I can help Sohil.

We spoke again. I asked if he’d ever thought of selling drums online. He said yes, but didn’t know how. That was the doorway. I asked what he’d call his business. He wasn’t sure. I suggested: Tiru Rhythm. He smiled, and I smiled back.

That was the beginning.

As we started talking about building an online platform, I asked him, “Do you know how to use email?” He said yes. I asked, “What kind of phone do you use?” That’s when he told me he didn’t have one anymore, his old phone had been damaged a long time ago. Now, he borrows a friend’s phone just so he can work.

Then Sohil told me something that stayed with me: it was his dream to one day own an iPhone. He asked me what kind I used, and I remember pausing, thinking seriously about buying him one. But something in me said: let him earn it through his own work. Let him feel the pride of buying it himself. It would mean more that way. I could help set the foundation but he should stand on it.

With Ramana’s grace and a bit of practical support, we built it:

• A fully set-up online platform

• A domain name

• A professional email

• A brand-new mobile phone

• A smartwatch

• Noise cancelling headphones

Sohil had the talent. He had the heart. He just needed a hand.

If you'd like to support Sohil, explore his handmade drums, or simply witness what grace in motion looks like, you can visit his website below:

tirurhythm.in

If you're looking for a unique gift for your children, a present for a friend, or simply a beautiful handmade drum crafted with love and delicate attention, visit Sohil's website or send him an email. Sohil ships internationally to anywhere in the world and your purchase would make the world of difference to him and his family.

Email Sohil at Sohil@tirurhythm.in for more information