Dhak (instrument)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The dhak (Bengali: ঢাক) is a cylinder-shaped wooden cask with its both ends covered with goatskin and cow tails and decorated with feathers.^[1]It is a two-sided drum^[2]but only one side is used at a time. The dhak is held on the shoulder with the beating side at the bottom and is beaten with two sticks, one thick and another thin.^[3]

The dhak is a percussion instrument similar to other two-sided drums in India. The dholak is probably the most popular of all, but it is normally played on both sides with the fingers and only sometimes with sticks. The dhol is generally associated with Punjabi music. The left side is coated to give it a heavier sound. Wooden sticks are used to play it. The mridangam is usually longer than the dholak and is considered be one of the oldest instruments. The left side is larger and coated with a material, even wet flour in the most basic instruments, to produce the heavier sound. The hudka belongs to the hills of Uttarakhand and is believed to a descendent of Shiva's drum, the damru.^[2]

Drum beats are an integral part of Durga Puja.^[4]

The Statesman wrote, “Durga Puja does not assume the festive aura without the maddening beats of the dhak, the large drum that men hang around their necks and play with two thin sticks to infuse the frenzied rhythm into listeners. Those enchanting beats are enough to conjure up the sights and smells of Durga Puja.” ^[5]

[edit] References