Musical Instruments
The drums are of various types and the technique of drumming among the tribals is
fascinating. In Bastar there are big drums played by sticks.
The Bhils use heavy
Dhols and Mandals. There are small -sized drums. The Durbari of the Bhils, that
is the Dumri of the Gonds is identical to the Goga Dhol of Dandakaranya. The
Mandri is a mini Mandal. Like the narrow-waist Dhak of the Bhils, there is the
Parang drum of the Murias. The Ghera is an octagonal rim stretched with goat hide
played by one padded stick. The Dphala, the Chang, the Damahu, the Timki and the
Tasa are different types of membranophonic instruments. The drumming is an
invitation or a call for dancing.
Of the
aerophonic instruments, the Bans is peculiar of Madhya Pradesh. It is a long
bamboo stem about four feet in length, used mostly by the Rawats who were the
cowherd community of Chhattisgarh. As an uncommon instrument of the flute
category, the Bans is moreover akin to the Ayar Kuzhal of the south. The
instrument produces peculiar sounds resembling the thundering of clouds or the
hoofs of wild beasts. The other instruments of the areophonic group are the
Pawli of the Bhils and the Algoza which is a pair of flutes. The professional
musicians Dewars use a crude type of Sarangi to recite legendary tales. This
instrument is made of a coconut shell resonator and horse-hair strings. The
Dhungru is a plucked instrument having catgut strings. The Sindhi or Sing is a
horn-shaped instrument used all over the state. The Been or the Pungi is the
snake-charmers instrument. The Morchang (jews harp) and the Ghangli of the Bhils
are favourite mini instruments of the rural boys. The Ghangli is made of bamboo
chip with a vibrating tongue.
Chatkora
(Chatkauaa),
the Thiski, the Thapi and the Zhanj are the auto phonics instrument. The
chordophonics instruments are the Tonkya of the Bhils and the Chikara or the
Kingri.
The
scrapper is no more seen except in the Vindhyas and Dandakaranya. The Bhils call
it Karkhara. In Bundelkhand it is named as Khirkhira. The oldest instruments of
the tribes of Bastar are Dhankul which is the plucked instrument and Tirududi
(or Jhunki) which is the dancing stick of the bison-horn Marias.
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