From Kalibadi at Station Bazaar to Sahid Nagar to Baramunda, all the city pandals have hired professional ‘dhak’ and ‘kansor’ players to drum up the festive spirits
BHUBANESWAR: Festivals, such as Durga puja, have always been a grand social event while retaining the religious devotion part.
Though a Hindu festival and particularly popular in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Tripura, Odisha, Bangladesh, and the diaspora from this region, and also in Nepal, where it is celebrated as ‘Dashain’, one cannot disagree that the beats of ‘dhak’ and ‘kansor’ in the pandals do create a festive mood which cuts across religious barriers.
For instance in the capital city itself, right from Kalibadi at Station Bazaar to Sahid Nagar to Baramunda, all the pandals have hired professional ‘dhak’ and ‘kansor’ players.
It may be mentioned here that the ‘dhak’ is a huge membranophone instrument whose shapes differ from the almost cylindrical to the barrel. The manner of stretching the hide over the mouths and lacing also varies. It is suspended from the neck, tied to the waist and kept on the lap or the ground, and usually played with wooden sticks. The left side is coated to give it a heavier sound.
The tribal population of Balasore, which shares strong ties with West Bengal and may trace their ancestors to the neighbouring state, have been in the ‘dhak’ and ‘kansor’ business for years.
Speaking to Orissa POST, Puja Goswami, a research student at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya said, “Those energetic beats of ‘dhak’ are enough to conjure up the exuberant puja mood.” Puja is a final-year student and doing research on instruments. “The beats are used to shoo away evil spirits.”
Ladookeshar Mohapatra, a servitor at Banadurga temple here, said, “Both these instruments are to invoke the power of goddess Durga to kill the evil Mahisasura. With a heavy Bengali influence, these two instruments have become an imperative part of Durga puja culture.”
Arjun Rana, a popular ‘Dhaki’ (dhaki player) of Balasore said, “Nowadays, no Durga puja is complete without our dhaks. We see many pandals and puja organisers approaching us in this time of the year. You see, though it had not been since the inception of Durga puja in our state, but the instruments have made inroads to the puja culture in Odisha too and that’s beautiful.”
CHAITALI SHOME, OP
