Marching to the ghumat's beat: Why this fading folk drum deserves more love

Vasai-based Ainsley Pereira's earliest memory of the ghumat is of seeing his uncles play it when he was about 10. While he did not have access to the earthen percussion instrument then, he kept himself busy by drumming his fingers on buckets and other homemade equipment as any child would do at that age. However, Pereira's fascination did not die out because as soon as he got the chance 10 years later, he purchased a ghumat for himself with his own money. The instrument has a way of doing that to people especially because of the hypnotic sound it produces. Its beats have the ability to make the listener raise one hand in the air, like the East Indians do, and swirl.

Now, almost 15 years later, the freelance interior designer is a part of a band called 'Ghumat Gang' based out of Vasai. The band, which was started by him in 2017 with other like-minded music enthusiasts comprises of ghumat players only, and is probably one of its kind in the city. It is the fruit of Pereira's love for the drum-like instrument and the fact that he couldn't get into an orchestra after trying many times. Almost 100 shows later, playing across Vasai and Mumbai in the East Indian gaothans, he has realised the importance of his work. "I am trying to revive interest in the instrument," says Pereira. "It is not even easily seen in East Indian houses anymore from what I know, even though it is very much a part of our culture."

The ghumat is limited mainly to the East Indian community in the city, say players and sellers, and is also bought by some Maharashtrian for use in aartis. The instrument is most popularly played in Goa, where it is called the ‘ghumot' and has the distinction of being the state's heritage folk instrument since 2019. Different versions of the instrument are seen in other parts of the country including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh too.

The making of the ghumat
The instrument has two parts - the drum and the top membrane. The drum, which is made from mud available in the field, has a protrusion in the centre; the top membrane is traditionally made from the stretched skin of the monitor lizard (ghorpad), which is tied with cotton strings around the drum's top wider opening. However, the top membrane has seen a change over the years as the monitor lizard is listed under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972) as an endangered species that needs rigorous protection.

Pereira reveals it has now been replaced by goat skin and has been so since he first started buying them. "The instruments are priced at approximately Rs 800. If the top membrane cracks or if the drum is broken, a new one has to be bought," says the band leader. Since repairing isn't a popular method of restoration for the instrument, ghumat players simply opt to replace damaged ones.

Being surrounded by the instruments all the time, Pereira says one of the members of his band is privy to the assembly of the instrument. The group includes 22 members, including four ghumat players and singers. They collectively own about 10 ghumats, which are kept in Pereira's house, where they practice regularly.


The instrument has two parts - the drum, made from field mud, and the top membrane made from goat's skin. Photo Courtesy: Sachin Pereira

Beyond the Ghumat Gang, there aren't any popularly known professional players of the instrument in the city. The fact that it is popular only within the East Indian community means not many people know about it. Andheri-based Sachin Pereira is one of the few in the city who plays it as and when he can, usually in community celebrations. "I have owned my ghumat for over 20 years now and it has been a part of my family before that. When you talk about our community's music, it is the ghumat and the brass band. Since it was played at local competitions, I picked it up and learned it on my own after looking at the other players around me," he explains.

Pereira, who currently owns four, usually purchases his ghumat at the Erangal church feast celebrations in Malad's St Bonaventure Church. Taking his love for the instrument further, he also gifts it to non-East Indian chief guests who participate in community events in the Marol locality in Andheri.

While the ghumat is available all year round in the city, the making usually happens in the summer season as it is easier to dry the drum. It sells in high numbers in the period from November to February, which coincides with celebrations of different kinds. These include church feasts and different ceremonies performed during the wedding season, which are a part of every house's cultural tradition over the years.

The instrument's unique cultural appeal
Particularly for the East Indian community, it is played during the Umbracha Pani (the pre-wedding ceremony). Vasai-based Pereira informs, "While brass bands are really popular and charge much more, we decided to charge much less than them to let people enjoy local music and we have been successful till now." The band usually charges Rs 2,500 for two hours, compared to Rs 10,000 and above that the other bands charge, according to Pereira. They have previously released two albums and are in the process of releasing a third later this year.

The Ghumat Gang may be slowly getting popular but that can't be said about the sellers of the instrument, who have seen dwindling demand. The family of a city-based seller, who does not wish to be named, has been selling the instrument for 20 years now, after her father-in-law first started the business about 50 years ago. "During my father-in-law's time, at least 500-600 used to be sold at fairs in the city but now it has gone down to approximately 100-150 per season, over the years."

It is not only the lack of regular demand but also the pandemic that hasn't been too kind on sellers. The seller, who previously depended on getting mud from family-owned fields earlier, has switched to buying it from Dharavi over the years. Unfortunately, that supply too was unavailable during the pandemic. While the Mumbai-based seller does not directly depend on the sales of the instrument, it has certainly taken away the bread and butter of those who actually make the instrument. "We had to pay and provide them with food, even if we weren't selling because their lives depend on making the instrument and on its sale."

Luckily, while it may have limited demand locally, the popularity of the instrument within the community transcends borders and that helps makers and sellers earn more on custom-made orders. The unique sound of this traditional, lesser-known instrument, everyone agrees, deserves more than to be heard only at celebrations.

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