To bring all the traditional instruments like dhol and damau on one platform, the State Culture Department started a four- day workshop from Sunday at Prem Nagar Ashram. The State Culture Minister Satpal Maharaj inaugurated it while urging all to go all-out to revive the use of these quintessential instruments of the State, now passing through a period of crisis. In all, 1250 traditional dhol players have gathered in the city to take part in the workshop. They are set to play before the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat at Har ki Pauri on August 9.
No celebration or festive occasion is complete without the beat of dhol. However, it is a matter of concern that those who eke their living through playing them are getting marginalised. Dhol is played in all the 16 sanskars of a person’s life as per the Hindu traditions. Kumaon, Garhwali and other regions have different forms of dhol. The workshop is showcasing all of them being brought on one platform. Though there are other local instruments like ransing, turhi and mashakbeen associated with the folk traditions of Uttarakhand only dhol and damau are figuring in the workshop. Speaking to The Pioneer, director, state culture department Beena Bhatt said, “Dhol is the instrument which is embedded in our culture and has its origin in Adi Dev – lord Shiva. It is played to invoke gods during the cultural/religious rituals. It forms an integral part of our tradition.
The primary objective of the workshop is to unite all the dhol players on one platform.” When asked how the department has managed to assemble all such persons to the workshop, Beena said, “Many are registered with our department. They contacted their brethren about the meet.” An advertisement was also placed sometime before, added Bhatt.
Through this meet, the department is also eyeing to find into a Guinness World Record through the congregation of 1500 dhol players playing at the same time at one place. If it happens it would break the record put by Maharashtra of 1365 dhol players performing together in Kolhapur.
One of the participants Bahadur Ram from village Dotal in Almora said, “We wish there is pension for us after we grow old enough for playing dhols or a kind of reservation for us in the government jobs. However, we laud this initiative undertaken by the State Government. We hope that things would prove better for us in the coming days.”