Damaru: India musical instrument
A damaru or damru is a small, two-headed musical drum that is used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. source of picture: kamakoti.org ...
http://worldhitz4u.blogspot.com/2013/12/damaru-india-musical-instrument.html
A damaru or damru is a small,
two-headed musical drum that is used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism.
source of picture: kamakoti.org
The musical instrument is typically
manufactured of wood, with leather drum head at the two ends of the instrument;
the musical drum might also be produced entirely out of human skulls. The
resonator of the instrument is produced of brass. The height of the musical
instrument is about 6 inches and the weight of the musical instrument differs
from 250 to 330 gm. The height of the musical instrument ranges from a few
inches to a little over one foot. The musical instrument is played single
handedly. The strikers of the instrument are characteristically beads fixed
firmly to the ends of leather cords around the instrument’s waist. Knots in the
leather can as well be used as strikers of the instrument; also crochets
material is common for this. As the player of the musical instrument waves the
drum with the use of twisting wrist motion, the strikers beat on the head of
the drum.
The damaru is very common all through
the Indian subcontinent. The musical instrument is referred to as a power drum
and when the drum is played, it is said that is evoke spiritual energy. The
musical instrument is linked with the Hindu deity shiva. Also it is believe that
Sanskrit language was acknowledged by the drumbeats of the musical instrument,
and his the performance of the cosmic dance of tandava. The musical instrument
is used by itinerant music players of all stripes, because of the portable size
of the instrument.
In some shield shape of some versions
of the musical instrument, the triangular upward illustration also epitomizes
male procreativity, which is the lingam, and the downward round illustration
epitomizes the female procreativity, which is the yoni. Symbolically, the
creation of the world started when the lingam and the yoni meet at the midpoint
of the damaru and also the demolition of the world starts when the lingam
separates from the yoni.
In the Tibetan Buddhism tradition,
the musical instrument is part of a collection of sacred equipment and musical
instruments was espoused from the tantric practices of the ancient India. These
reached the land of Snows from the 8th century to 12th
century, enduring in Tibet as the practice of Vajrayana succeeded there, even
as it disappeared in the Indian subcontinents.
The skull version of the musical
instrument is manufactured from a male and a female skull bone or calvarium,
well cut above the area of the ear and merged at their apex. Inside the male
and the female mantras are roughly emblazoned in gold. The skins are roughly
cured by entombing them with copper and some other mineral salts and special
herbal formulas for about 2 weeks. These are then spread and applied to the
both sides, giving the skins the acquainted blue or green dappled presence. A
collar of artless brocade or copper or silver, has a hand-hold, and is the site
of add-on of the beaters, whose knit shield symbolizes two eyeballs. The skulls
are cautiously selected for their qualities and source. After the Tibetan
diaspora in the year 1960, they started to be produced in India and Nepal, with
a continued squalor of quality. Presently, India is no more a source, and their
creation and carry across from Nepal are banned, due to the obtaining of human
bone through unlawful practices. One still sometimes find those with painted
skin and without the appropriate mantras or other attributes.
The representation and the energetic
qualities of the drums are extensive. These human skull versions of the musical
instrument are used in a wide variety of Vajrayana ritual, as a typical hand
accompaniment to the bell that is held in the left hand by the player of the
musical instrument. This drum that is often used together as a pronunciation or
punctuation during the different tantric practices, can as well keep time
during the whole passages. For the solo practitioner, the musical instrument is
an important tool, while in larger assemblies, the presiding Rinpoches and
chant master are the only users of the musical instrument, in concert with the
long horn, which is called ‘redung’, short horn, which is called ‘jalung’,
large cymbals, which are called ‘silnyne and rolmo’, and the large temple
musical drums known as ‘nga’.