In search of green pasture, ‘dhakis’ drum their way to Puja pandals

Kolkata: From the night of Chaturthi, travellers at Sealdah Station felt the festive spirit of Puja as the vibrant beats of Dhaks, traditional drums, echoed in the air. The Dhakis, the traditional drum players, gathered outside the station from Monday night, hoping to drum their way to Durga Puja pandals.

On Panchami, Tuesday, the scene was familiar to regular commuters. Like every year, Dhakis from different parts of Bengal gathered to showcase their skills. Despite scattered rain, many were seen pounding their decorated drums, dressed in different attires. Some waited with worried faces, wondering if they would find work. Puja organisers from both the city and beyond came to negotiate and hire them. Tapan Das and his two brothers, hailing from Jamra village in Burdwan, arrived at Sealdah on Thursday afternoon, bringing nearly 20 years of drumming experience. “Pray for us to find a good Puja committee to hire us soon,” Tapan expressed. Outside of the Puja season, the brothers work as farmers.

Many fathers brought their young sons with them. 8-year-old Surya Das accompanied his father to play traditional gongs, ‘Kansor’ for the first time, his eyes wide with excitement. Gouranga, a resident of Katwa, noted a decline in the market. “We’ve been coming to Kolkata for about 15 years. We got Rs 20,000 last year. But these Puja parties are offering only Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 for our three-person team.” They waited for a better offer.

Chandan Kumar Das from Murshidabad also brought his son, Debnath, who is in class VII. Frustrated by low offers, he remarked: “We come here twice a year for Durga Puja and Kali Puja. Organisers spend significantly on other things but offer us very little.” The best offer they received was Rs 13,000, but they were hoping for Rs 16,000.

A six-member team from Tehatta, dressed in red kurtas and white pants, was also holding out for better pay. “Last year, we earned Rs 25,000. This year, we aim for Rs 30,000, but the highest offer so far is Rs 25,000. We’ll wait until Wednesday morning,” said Rahul Das, who works as a mason outside the festive season.

Many Dhakis are travelling beyond Bengal, drawn by better pay. “Our Dhakis are all booked for Odisha this year, where the rates are higher. We earn about Rs 6,000 per head in Bengal, but in Odisha, it can go up to Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000,” explained Sushanta Kalindi from Shyamsundar Brass Band of Bankura, which has about 50 Dhakis in its group. Adi Shiv Shakti Dhaki Sampadhyay has taken their team of ten women Dhakis to Guwahati, Assam.