Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: How women of Mumbai’s dhol tasha groups are playing dhols in style

The much-awaited day of Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 is finally here. Devotees have headed out for Bappa's aagman. Amidst this excitement, Mumbaikars will also be dancing to loud beats of dhols by the innumerable dhol tasha groups of Mumbai. A culture prominently found in Maharashtra's Pune, has also risen in popularity in Mumbai, especially among the young.

The main attraction of these groups, however, is going to be the women playing dhols and displaying great vigour, enthusiasm and style. While there is no doubt about how beautifully women have embraced this art form, it is their distinct fusion of Indo-Western attire that has caught our attention. We spoke to the ladies of a popular dhol tasha group in Mumbai's Virar to dissect their choice of fashionable outfits and explore their interest in this unique art form.

Sheetal Vishnu Nyalpelly, a 26-year-old social media analyst with Reliance Jio has been a part of Martand Dhol Tasha group for over five years. The group was established in 2015 and initially saw the participation of only 15 women. Today, it has expanded its arms to 70 women dhol vadaks (players).

"I used to hear the beats of the dhol while passing by the roads. The energy with which everyone used to play the dhol and dance to its beat was infectious. I wanted to be a part of something like that," says this Virar resident who has been a part of the Martand group for over 5 years.

Sheetal is a South Indian raised in Maharashtra. "I live here. The Maharashtrian culture is my culture too. I feel extremely proud to be a part of such a culturally significant art form. Besides, my passion has also driven many other women to join this group and take the tradition forward. This gives me great joy."

Cultural relevance of dhol tasha vadan
Dhol tasha vadan is an art form deep-rooted in Maharashtrian culture and dates back to the time of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja's Maratha rule. Pune is said to be its place of origin. This art form thus has cultural and historical relevance in Maharashtra considering Ganesh Chaturthi too was first observed in Pune.

Dhol tasha vadan forms a symphony of dhwaj (saffron-coloured flag), tasha, dhol, jhanj, toll and lejhim. Out of these instruments, dhol is a common favourite especially among women. The beats of the dhol mainly involve a set of seven hand movements. Beats given by the left hand are called thaapi and ones given by the right hand using a stick called tipru, are called dhumma.

Another dhol vadak Pradnya Prakash Shinde (26) sheds light on the preparation and weight of the dhol. "For women, the dhol weighs somewhere between 10-13 kg. The dhols that men play are around 15-16 kg. Given the heavy weight, we always ensure its rope is tied to our waist correctly. To protect ourselves from any injuries we wear back belts and knee caps."

Further, Pradnya says that each member in the group is assigned their own dhol and is responsible for taking good care of it. Before every performance, the dhol requires to be greased and tuned using a mixture of oil and water. This helps in loosening the dhol that is otherwise stiff. Doing this is crucial to prevent the instrument from breaking.

Like Sheetal, Pradnya, who has seven years of experience, also developed an interest towards dhol tasha vadan after years of watching the men perform. She says, "When I decided to join the group, all the boys were extremely welcoming. Each one is like a brother to me. We all thoroughly enjoy together while practising and performing."

Similarly for Dipti Mohite Adhav (40), being a part of the dhol tasha group is a feeling of pride. "When I start playing the dhol for Bappa, I am nothing more than a devotee. I lose myself completely in the loud beats of the dhol. The feeling is surreal," she says. Dipti has wanted to be a part of a dhol tasha group since the beginning. However, after getting married she shifted to Ahmedabad in 2009 and couldn't learn to play dhol.

The 40-year-old acupressure and Sujok therapist recently shifted back to Mumbai and immediately got herself and her 10-year-old son Kanak Nilesh Adhav to join the Martand group. It has been two months since she and her son started training for dhol and are completely enjoying the learning process.

On being asked how she strikes a balance between work, domestic chores and her interests, she says, "If you are truly passionate about something, you will manage to make time for it. I don't know how, but despite feeling tired, when I lift the dhol to play it, Bappa gives me the strength to practise and perform for hours. Besides, my family is extremely supportive and encouraging. They love to watch me perform."

Additionally, Dipti actively participates in such activities to set a good example for her son. According to her, it is only when the elders participate in cultural activities that the young generation develops an interest towards the same. She says it is extremely crucial for elders like me to inculcate these cultural values and traditions in children early on in their lives if we want them to pass on these traditions to the upcoming generations and preserve our culture.

Ananya Mithun Dhulap, dearly addressed as ‘mau' by the members of her dhol tasha group, is the perfect example of the young generation preserving the culture. This 14-year-old is a grade 9 student at Mumbai's John XXIII High School. She has been playing dhol for the past two years now and says it's an obsession. "My mother encouraged me to play dhol. She always had an interest in it but as a teenager could never get her parents' approval. She didn't want anything to stand in my way of pursuing this art form."

Ananya enjoys being the centre of attention. She says, "I love it when people look at me with awe and admiration when I play my dhol. It is the best feeling ever. I have had small children too, complimenting my performance which is extremely motivating." While Ananya is the only one in her friends' circle to engage in this activity, she says, I will keep playing dhol and performing for as long as I can. This will encourage other young girls too, to try their hands at dhol.

Playing dhol in style
The members of the dhol tasha groups usually have a uniform that involves wearing a white kurta and pants with a layered jacket of their respective group. However, the ladies have gone all out looking absolutely stunning in their Indo-Western attire.

Sheetal explains the unique outfit women wear: On the day of the miravnuk (performance), we women sport a nauvari saree (a nine-yard saree worn by Maharashtrian women on festivals or special occasions,) white sneakers and a 13 kg huge dhol on our waist. We prefer to wear a nine-yard saree over a kurta-pant as it not only looks great but is also comfortable since it is draped in pant form.

Expanding on this, Dipti says, "To complete the look, we wear Maharashtrian jewellery like a nath (nose ring), chandrakor (bindi usually studded with coloured stones or diamonds) and gajra (flower garland) that is perfectly fitted to a tightly tied hair bun or braid. Besides these, we also wear bhikbali or jhumkas as earrings."

Women drape nauvari sarees as it is a traditional attire that women during the Maratha rule used to wear. However, their choice of wearing sneakers, instead of Kolhapuri chappals or sandals, is to get the right grip while handling the dhol. Since the pressure of the body and the dhol completely falls on the feet, having comfortable footwear helps them perform with ease.

The members of the dhol tasha groups practice this art form without any expectation of financial gain solely to preserve and carry forward the culture that has been practised for decades. It is needless to say they infuse strength and vibrancy into the overall festival, especially during Bappa's aagman.