Sacred Rhythm

Dhol tasha troupes in the city keep up with tradition during the Ganpati festival

The beats thump loud and hard,making the glass panes vibrate as a group of 600 Puneites play large drums that are hung around their waist. The motley group has participants ranging from eight-year-olds to 55-year-olds,who are perspiring despite Punes monsoon cool. The scene spells that dhol tasha,a ubiquitous part of the Ganpati festival in the city,is serious business.

Ashutosh Deshpande,president of Shivmudra dhol tasha troupe,says his group of 600 has people from all walks of life lawyers,company secretary,doctors and even students. We have been doing this for eight years but the tradition is dying a slow death because the younger generation is more inclined towards the Western culture, says Deshpande. Giving away a little trivia about the group,he says the rules for participants are strict. There is no place for any kind of addictions. Even eating chewing gum while practising is not acceptable, he says.

The caller tune of Ketan Kank,founder of Shiv Vardhan troupe,is a giveaway of what is topmost on his mind,as it plays out a upbeat Ganpati bhajan. With almost 450 members,we has been playing at various Ganpati mandals across the city for three years now. We started with only seven members. Today,our approximate capital investment is Rs 4.5 lakh, says Kank. He adds that the group consciously avoids repetitive beats. We constantly strive to experiment with sound,breaking the traditional rhythm that is commonly heard all across Pune in this season, he adds.

Atul Behere,president of Nathbrahma,says his team has been performing at Ganpati festival for the last three years. Their claim to fame though,he says,is that they perform at Bollywood actor Salman Khans place every year. My team has also played in London, he says.

Talking about the police restriction on the number of dhols,Deshpande says the matter is not very serious or restricting. Pathaks (members of the troupe) are trying to have a peaceful meeting with authorities to resolve the issue, he says. Kank says they are trying to negotiate with authorities to increase the number of dhols from 30 to 50.

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Ganesh Chaturthi