Khol

The khol (Bengali: খোল, Assamese: খোল) also known as a Oriya: mrdanga (lit. "mrit+anga" = "clay body") or mridong(Bengali: মৃদঙ্গ) (not to be confused with mridangam) is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with devotional music (bhakti). It originates from the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Manipur. The drum is played with palms and fingers of both hands.

Construction

Parts of the khol (mridanga)

The khol is a drum with a hollow earthen body, with drumheads at both ends, one far smaller than the other. The drumheads are made of cow skin, and are three-layered and treated with a circle of rice paste, glue, and iron known as syahi. Some modern instruments are made with a fibreglass body and synthetic drumheads.

History

The khol was used by the Assamese saint Sankardev.^[1]

Use

The drum is used to accompany Bengali, Oriya kirtans by medieval poets like Chandidas, Govindadasa and Gyanadas. It is also used to accompany Gaudiya Nritya, one of the nine Indian classical dances.

In the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON, "Hare Krishnas") and in Gaudiya Vaishnava societies, the khol is the primary drum for bhajan and kirtan.

See also

• Mridangam
• Tabla
• Thavil
• Karatalas
• Maddale, an instrument used in Yakshagana
• Dholak

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mridanga.

• Mridanganet.blogspot.com

Indian musical instruments Percussion Chande Chenda Damaru Dholak Edakka Ghatam Khanjira Khol Mizhav Morsing Mridangam Pakhavaj Parai Nagada Sambal Tabla Tavil String Dilruba/Esraj Ektara Santoor Sarangi Sarinda Sarod Seni rebab Sitar Surbahar Tanpura Electronic Taus Veena Gottuvadhyam Mohan veena Rudra veena Saraswati veena Yazh Wind Bansuri Harmonium Kombu Nadaswaram Pungi Shankha Shehnai Shruti box Venu Other Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya Gamaka Indian classical music Jivari Meend