History And Description Of Damaru Damru Musical Instrument In English

History And Description Of Damru Musical Instrument

History –

• The damru is a percussion instrument made of parchment, cloth, silk, metal, brass, cotton, wood, parchment and bamboo.
• It is a local instrument, found in Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar and other parts of North India.
• The damru is a small two-headed drum, used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism.
• In Hinduism, the damru is known as a musical instrument of the deity Shiva associated with Tantric traditions.
• It is said that it was created by Shiva to generate the spiritual sound by which the entire universe is created and regulated.

Description

• The drum is usually made of wood, metal, with leather drums at both ends. The resonator is made of brass.
• The height of damru is 6 inches and weight is between 250-330 grams. Its height ranges from a few inches to a little over a foot. It is played alone.
• The strikers are usually beads tied to the ends of leather cords around the damru’s waist.
• Knots in leather can also be used as strikers; Crocheted material is also common.
• As the player uses a wrist motion to spin the drum, the strikers strike the drumhead.

Use –

• It is used by the Lamas in ritualistic dances in Ladakh. In addition, it is used by the ‘Kudukuduppai Andi’ of Tamil Nadu and by monks, snake charmers, gypsies and jugglers in North India.
• In Tibetan Buddhism, the damru is used as an instrument in meditation.

In Hinduism

• Damru is very common throughout the Indian subcontinent. Damru is known as a Shakti Dhol, and when played, it is believed to generate spiritual energy.
• It is associated with the Hindu deity Shiva. It is believed that the Sanskrit language was recognized by the drum beat of Damru and the cosmic dance performance of his Tandava. Because of its small portable size, the damaru is used by itinerant musicians of all stripes.

In Tibetan Buddhism

• In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the damru is part of a collection of sacred instruments and the musical instrument was adopted from the tantric practices of ancient India.
• These reached the Himalayas by the 8th to 12th centuries, remaining in Tibet as the practice of Vajrayana flourished there, even as it disappeared in the Indian subcontinent.

Material –

• wood, sheepskin, cloth, silk, metal

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