The dhyāngro is a frame drum played by the jhakri (shamans) of Nepal—especially those of the Magars, the Kirati, and the Tamang—as well as by Tibetan Buddhist musicians.
The dhyāngro may be either single- or double-headed. Double-headed drums are said to have a male side and a female side.[1] The drumhead, which is made from animal skin, is struck with a curved beater fashioned from cane.[2] The frame may also be equipped with jingles. Like the na drum of Tibet, but unlike most frame drums, the dhyāngro usually has a handle. The carving in the wooden handle of a dhyāngro may be quite intricate; owing to Buddhist influence, the handles of some drums are fashioned into a kīla.
Ceremonial use[]
A Nepali jhakri holds up a dhyāngro with his left hand, and holds the beater in his right.
In Nepal, a jhakri (shaman) plays the dhyāngro during traditional shamanic ceremonies.[1]
The drum is occasionally used in Tibetan Buddhist celebrations, as in an orchestra performing Buddhist music. For example: In Malaysia, such a performance greeted the seventh Ling Rinpoche when he visited the Tadika Than Hsiang Farlim and Child Care Centre on Penang Island.[3]
