Sheer Ecstasy

It was round and was lying just in front of me, waiting for me to have a go at it. The long cherished dream of holding it around my waist made my energy levels soar high. I touched it for the first time and could sense the thump of excitement running in my body. It was nice, round and had a big black spot on its centre on either side, marking the area for it to be hit upon. Its only sight used to make me touch it, feel it and quixotic.

I got a pump when the moment was nearing, when it was going to be tied to me around my waist.

A burning desire to hold it around me and enjoy its presence around me made me like a restless kid and suddenly when I realized that it is going to be close around me, my joy new no bounds.

Before anyone comes up with any vivid imaginations regarding what I am mentioning, let me make it clear that the ‘it’ that I am referring to is the dhol.

I always dreamt of playing the dhol during the much awaited Ganesh festival. I used to be a joyful spectator listening to the beats of the dhol and its echoing sounds used to fill vigor in me.

And the moment had arrived when ‘the dhol’ was tied around my waist. My romance with it was about to start. Lot of anxiety, curiosity and adrenalin pumped in my body as I was about to play the dhol for the first time in my life. Mixed feelings of whether I would be able to play it right, whether I can match up with my fellow counterparts, the fact that the dhol would be tied to me for long were running in my mind. But as soon as the first beat of other dhols hit me, the oomph flowed and I slowly transcended into a new world. A world of music, of vibrancy, of passion, of sheer bliss. I followed suit and could surprisingly match the beats of my comrades instilling the confidence in me that i can be a good drummer ( given a chance though).

The vibrations that the dhol created when it is hit hard rushed into my body and took me into a trance for a whole one hour. This was the state I made myself enter into for an hour for the entire week which was of 'sheer ecstasy'.