Damaru

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A damaru is a small two-headed drum shaped like an hourglass. The drum is typically made of wood, with leather drum heads, and can be anywhere from a few inches to a little overa foot in height. It is played one handed. The strikers are typically beads fastened to the ends of leathern cords around the waist of the damaru. Knots in the leather can also be used as strikers. As the player waves the drum using a twisting wrist motion, the strikers beat on the drumhead.

The damaru is well known throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is especially associated with the God Shiva, and legend has it that Shiva gave the world its fisrt syllabary as the sounds of the Sanskrit language arose from his drumbeats (see Shiva Sutra for the sounds). The damaru is used by itinerant musicians of all stripes, due to its small portable size. It is also used in Tibetan Buddhism in a ritual manner.