Dotara: Bangladesh musical instrument

The dotara is a two or four or few times five stringed musical instrument that is similar to mandolin but shares a little features with the guitar. It is most commonly used in Assam, Bangladesh, West Bengal and Bihar and has been traced back to the 15^th to 16^th century when it was raised by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs. An instrument that is of the same equal with this long-necked two-stringed lute is seen in Central Asia as dutar.

source of picture: chandrakantha.com

Throughout the land of Bengal, the dotara is the most single important folk musical instrument that is used in various genres of folk music. It possesses two main forms; the ‘bangla’ and the ‘bhawaiva.’ The bangla type originated from the Rahr Bangla region where it is most commonly played. It is built with metal strings which gives a brighter tone than any other instrument that is played in the area. Although some dotara can be built with more than two strings, every song can be played with the use of two main strings and that are what gives it the name dotara; do meaning ‘two’ and tar meaning ‘string’. The bhawaiya type is almost does not exist in the modern society; it has a more primeval beginning than the bangla cousin. Also the strings are its striking feature that is being made of thick cotton or more or catgut that gives it more bass tone quality. This musical inastrument is mostly used in the Bhhawaiya, Jaalpariva and Mahishali form of folk music dominating in and around the Bengal territory.

This musical instrument is a stringed, plucked instrument that is played in an open mixture and widely it accompanies the beat and rhythm form of folk percussions such as Dhol or Mandira. It is produced out of neem or other species of hardwood with a long and roundish belly for a sound box, tapering to a limited neck size on the climax in a peg box which is carved in shape of peacock head. The slim neck serves as the finger-board; this is produced from a brass or steel and lends the liquid form to the timbre. The sound box of the musical instrument is covered with slightly stretched kid-skin or the skin of a lizard just like the rebab or the sarod. The dotara is believed by some people to be the simpler version of the sarod.