Damaru ( sk . डमरू ) or damru - a small two-membrane drum in India and Tibet , shaped like an hourglass.
| Damaru | |
|---|---|
 Damaru from Tibet | |
| Classification | Percussion Instrument , Membranophon |
This drum is usually made of wood. Its height ranges from a few inches to a little more than a foot . It is played with one hand. The sound is mainly produced by balls that are attached to a string or leather cord wrapped around the narrow part of a damaru. Also in the production of sound may involve knots tied on a cord. When a person sways the drum using the wavy movements of his wrists, the ball (or balls) hit the damar on both sides. This musical instrument is used by wandering musicians of all kinds because of its small size. It is also used in the ritual practice of Tibetan Buddhism .
Damaru is generally well known throughout the Indian subcontinent . Among the Saivites, he is associated with the form of Shiva called Nataraja , being the symbol of the latter. Four-armed Nataraja holds the damaru in the upper right hand when she performs her tandava cosmic dance. It is believed that Damaru is voiced by the original sound ( nada ). There is a legend that all the sounds of Sanskrit originated from the sounds of the game Shiva na Damaru. The beat of this drum symbolizes the rhythm of power in the creation of the world, and both its halves personify the male ( lingam ) and female ( yoni ) beginnings. And the connection of these parts is the very place where life begins.