Khol

The Khol

The Khol is a two-sided drum made of terracotta or brass used mainly in the East and North of India. It is used in the main for devotional music. Played by the fingers and palms of both hands it has some similarities with the Dholak/Dholki. But its origins are from the eastern state of EDT Bengal and north-eastern states of neighbouring Assam and Manipur.

Those who play the Khol have real intention. You can see it in the concentration of the face and the swift movement of the hands. There is none of the laughing charm and almost lazy joy of a Dholki player but a determination to get their message across. Its beat matches not just the sound of the heart but the spirit of the soul…and both dance together in devotional unison.