Faces of India – 340, Dhaki from Kolkata West Bengal

Dhaki from Kolkata

And just for those frenzied beats of dhaks, dhakis are brought all the way from Kolkata to Bangalore. Unfortunately I could not capture him in action. When he was resting later I caught up with him for a small talk. He was happy to be in Bangalore for the 3 days of Puja. But since he wanted to do some sightseeing he extended his stay by another two days.

He wanted to know whether Mysore was doable in 1 day. Look at his (good)luck he met me – a travel blogger!!! I very happily told him all sightseeing possibilities of Mysore that can be done in a day. He seemed to be keener on Chamundeshwari Temple and Mysore Palace. The idea of zoo didn’t fascinate him much. Of course I should have known that before suggesting him. He inquired about more temples there. Do you suggest places to visit to strangers who talk to you? If so how do you decide what would be the best places to suggest?

Faces of India

a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. I bring back souvenirs, frozen moments from my travels, why not some memories of people I have met and interacted during the travels. Faces of India is a weekly series in my blog since MARCH 2011. See more here…

He is a dhaki from Kolkata West Bengal. Dhakis are dhak (musical instrument – drum) beaters.

Quoting The Statesman here: “’Durga Puja’ does not assume the festive aura without the maddening beats of the dhak. Men hang these large drums around their necks and beat with two thin sticks to infuse frenzied rhythm into listeners. Those enchanting beats are enough to conjure up the sights and smells of Durga Puja.”