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Khol
- The khol is a terracotta double-sided drum used for accompaniment to devotional music (bhakti) in northern and eastern India.
- It originates from the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Manipur. The drum is played with the palms and fingers of both hands.
- It originates from the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Manipur. The drum is played with the palms and fingers of both hands.
Description
- The khol is believed to be similar to the ancient gopuchha shape of the drum described in the Natya Shastra. The right side of the drum has a higher pitch and produces a metallic sound, while the left side produces a lower bass sound.
- Large sections can be tuned with damping. On a damp day the larger side will sag and the less noisy one will vibrate more.
- The side that produces a high pitched sound gets tighter during a dry day. Players of the instrument would pour water into their drum if they felt it did not produce a low enough sound.
- They will get some water on their fingers and spread it around a large area. They’ll either let it sit there for a few minutes, or manually pull it off with their palm.
Construction
- The khol is a hollow earthen drum with drumheads at either end, one much smaller than the other.
- Drumheads are made of cow or goat skin, and are three-layered and treated with rice paste, gum and an iron wheel known as ink.
- Some modern instruments are made with fiberglass bodies and synthetic drumheads.
History
- There are many stories about its origin. There are different types of khol s available in North East India.
- Odisha, Manipur, Bengal and Assamese khol is commonly found in different forms. The wooden khol was made in terracotta by the Assamese polymath Sankardeva.
Use
- Khol is considered an integral part of a Sharan Naam Dharma culture and is used in Bhaona (drama), Gayan-Bayan, Prasang-Kirtan and Borgets (lyrical songs).
- Assamese polymath Sankardeva is known to have adapted and developed the tradition of singing and bayan using musical instruments like khol and taal.
- The instrument is used during aarti rituals in every Vishnu (Jagannath, Radha Krishna) temple in Odisha.
- Drums are used to accompany Oriya, Bengali kirtan by medieval poets like Chandidas, Govindadas and Gyandas.
- It is also used interchangeably with Gaudiya Nritya, one of the nine Indian classical dances (as recognized by the Ministry of Culture, and not recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi).
