Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival that pays honour to the Hindu goddess Durga. It is one of India’s most lavish celebrations. Depending on the area or region, this multi-day holiday may span anywhere from 6 to 10 days. The majority of Northern India celebrates the holiday with Navratri (nine nights). Despite these modifications, the last four days of the Hindu calendar—Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Vijay Dashami—remain extremely important and are lavishly observed all over the country.
The Durga Puja festival, as well as other Bengali rituals and celebrations, have all grown to rely heavily on the dhak. The Sanskrit word “Dhaka” comes from the Austric language is where the word “Dhak” from. Later, the word was incorporated into the Bengali alphabet. The dhak is a large membranophone instrument of South Asian origins.
The dhak is vigorously beaten with two sticks to transmit the frenetic beats to the listeners. These rhythms are enough to elevate the mood and evoke the atmosphere of the Durga Puja. Without the instrument, the well-attended festival would have been gloomy.
The shape of the dhak, among other factors, influences its sound. The form could be nearly cylindrical or barrel-shaped. On the one hand, the instrument’s exterior is built of chopped and removed wood. Nonetheless, it is designed to be completely hollow on the inside. The bottom of the dhak is made of calf skin, and the top is made of goat skin. It is claimed that using these two types of hides improves the dhak’s flawless sound texture. The way the skin is stretched over the dhak’s mouth and lacquered influences the type of sound it produced. The dhak’s pitch increases when additional strings are pulled on its side. A pair of thin cane or bamboo sticks that are used to beat the dhak are carefully crafted. Due to the laborious handwork and embellishment, as well as the drawn-out drying process for the wooden parts, the instrument is finalised over the course of about a month.
From the time the idols arrive until they are immersed, every stage of the Durga Puja rites has its own special music and dhak beat. On Dashami, the final day of puja, it is played both when the idol arrives and leaves the pandal. In reality, during the ‘Sandhya Arati’ on Ashtami, it is the ear-splitting sound of the dhak that permeates the air of tremendous jubilation. The dhak’s rhythms are extremely necessary for this ceremony to be accomplished.
Additionally, the “Dhunuchi Nach” where the dhak provides the musical beat to which people dance with the “dhunuchi”—is a crucial component. Another well-known custom is the “Dhaker Lorai,” or “Fight between Dhaks,” in which the splendour is best displayed when the dhakis perform in groups.
The audience usually finds it exciting to watch the dhakis dance to the music while they play feathery drums. On Dashami, the majestic dhak beats assist dispel the melancholy and gloom that permeate the vermilion ceremony and, finally, the immersion.