View source for Khol

{{Short description|Indian terracotta two-sided drum}}
{{other uses|Khol (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the clay drum of eastern India|the specific clay drum of Odisha|Mrudanga|the wooden drum of southern India|Mridangam}}
{{italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox instrument
| name                  = ''Khol''
| names                 = Mridanga
| image                 = Mridanga 1.jpg
| image_capt            = Mridanga bayan, or khol
| background            = [[Percussion]]
| classification        = [[Membranophones]]
| inventors             =
| developed             =
| range                 =
| related               =[[Tabla]], [[Dholak]]
| musicians             =
| builders              =
| articles              =
}}
[[File:Mridanga 2.jpg|right|thumb]]

The '''''khol''''' is a [[terracotta]] two-sided drum used in northern and [[eastern India]] for accompaniment with [[devotional music]] (''[[bhakti]]''). It is also known as a ''mridanga'' (< [[Sanskrit]] {{Transliteration|sa|mṛd}} + {{Transliteration|sa|aṅga}}, {{lit|clay limb}}), not to be confused with ''[[mridangam]]''. It originates from the Indian states of [[Odisha]], [[West Bengal]], [[Assam]] and [[Manipur]]. The drum is played with palms and fingers of both hands.

== Description ==
The khol is regarded as resembling to the ancient ''gopuchha'' shape of drums, as described in [[Natya Shastra]]. The right face of the drum has a high pitch and produces a metallic sound, whereas the left face, produces a lower bass sound. The larger side can be tuned with humidity. On a humid day the larger side will loosen up and vibrate more producing the lower sound. During a dry day the side tightens up producing a high pitched sound. Players of the instrument will add water to their drum if they feel it does not produce a low enough sound. They will put a bit of water on their finger and spread it around the edge of the large side. They will either let it sit there for a few minutes, or manually stretch it with their palm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.india-instruments.com/encyclopedia-khol.html|title=Khol - India Instruments|website=www.india-instruments.com|access-date=2019-10-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mridangams.com/2007/09/yathi.html|title=Yathi and Jathi - Classical Music Mridangam|website=www.mridangams.com|access-date=2019-10-20}}</ref>

==Construction==
[[File:Mridanga parts by Jan Kraus.jpg|thumb|right|Parts of the khol (mridanga)]]
The khol is a drum with a hollow earthen body, with drumheads at both ends, one far smaller than the other. The drumheads are made of cow or goat skin, and are three-layered and treated with a circle of rice paste, glue, and iron known as ''[[syahi]]''. Some modern instruments are made with a fibreglass body and synthetic drumheads.

==History==

There are so many histories about its origin. Different types of Khol are available in north eastern India. [[Odisha]], Manipur, Bengal and Assamese Khol are commonly found in different forms. The wooden khol was made into terracotta by the Assamese polymath [[Sankardev]].<ref name="Indian Literature">{{cite book|title=Indian Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vmVjAAAAMAAJ|access-date=23 December 2012|year=1970|publisher=Sähitya Akademi.|page=84}}</ref>

==Use==
The khol is considered an integral part of the [[Ek Saran Naam Dharma]] culture and is used in ''[[bhaona]]'' (plays), ''[[gayan-bayan]]', ''prasanga-[[kirtan]]'' and ''[[borgeet]]''s (lyrical songs) in Assam. Assamese polymath [[Sankardev]]a is known to have adapted and evolved the tradition of ''gayan-bayan'' by using musical instruments like the khol and [[Taal (instrument)|taal]]. According to Assamese [[Vaishnavites|Neo-Vaishnavites]], playing the khol is regarded as a holy activity and it is also considered to be one of the most important traditional percussion instruments.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/on-the-khol-trail/article21212672.ece|title=Soul of kirtans|last=Nandini|first=Dr M. Lalitha & M.|date=2017-11-30|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-10-20|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> It is also a key musical instrument that accompanies a [[Sattriya]] performance.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Music and Musical Instruments of North Eastern India|last=Barthakur|first=Dilip Ranjan|publisher=Mittal Publications|year=2003|isbn=81-7099-881-6}}</ref>

The instrument is used in every Vishnu (Jagannath, Radha Krishna) temple in Odisha during [[arati]] rituals.
The drum is used to accompany Odia, Bengali  [[kirtan]]s by medieval poets like [[Chandidas]], [[Govindadasa]] and [[Gyanadas]]. It is also used to accompany [[Gaudiya Nritya]], one of the nine [[Indian classical dance]]s (as recognized by Ministry of Culture, and not recognized by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]]).

In the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON, "Hare Krishnas") and in [[Gaudiya Vaishnava]] societies, the khol is the primary drum for [[bhajan]] and kirtan.

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Music}}
*[[Mridangam]]
*[[Tabla]]
*[[Thavil]]
*[[Karatalas]]
*[[Maddale]], an instrument used in [[Yakshagana]]
*[[Dholak]]
*[[Manoj Kumar Das]]
*[[Samphor]]
*[[Taphon]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Mridanga}}
* [http://www.mridanganet.blogspot.com Mridanganet.blogspot.com]

{{Indian musical instruments}}
{{Worship in Hinduism}}

[[Category:Indian musical instruments]]
[[Category:Hand drums]]
[[Category:Culture of Assam]]