Dhol bajne lagaa. Again

A hollow drum around two feet in length is laid out on the floor Called a taaki in Marathi its hollow ends are covered with a circular canvas or paan on each side and secured with a thick length of rope Once the young men assembling it are convinced that the rope is tied firmly using all their body strength to yank it in place one of them picks up a short wooden rod called tipur and hits it gently on one sideThis side where the tipur hits is called the thoka while the other which is hit by the hand is called the thaap The dhol or doubleheaded drum is readyFor the members of the Fatteshikast Dhol Tasha Pathak this process is more symbolic than literal The merry band of 18 to 20yearolds has just begun putting together the pieces of a large part of their lives scattered by tragedy earlier this yearThe Pathak debuted in 2022 under a different namemdashBajiprabhu Dhol Tasha Pathak It was the brainchild of 22yearold Satish Dhumal a dhol player who started his own group and brought together 40 dhol tasha enthusiasts from Goregaon and nearby suburbs For a year the Pathak toured the city playing at major festivals including Ganeshotsav and Navratri celebrationsFatteshikast members fasten canvas circles called paans on both sides of the dholrsquos hollow known as taaki with thick rope One side which is played with a wooden rod called tipur is known as the thoka while the other side played with the palm of the hand is called thaapIn April this year they got their first opportunity to play outside Mumbai at an Ambedkar Jayanti celebration in PuneldquoWe actually had two offersrdquo recalls Kartik Barot Dhumalrsquos old friend and fellow dhol player ldquoOne was in Khar the other in Pune We opted for the latter because it was a great break for us We had a fantastic evening and set out to return home in the early hours of the morning Most of us were sleeping on our way backrdquoAt 330 am that April 15 night the private bus carrying 42 members of the group plunged into a ravine off Borghat on the Mumbai Pune Highway Dhumal who was seated beside the driver lost his life along with 15 others The youngest member of the group to die that morning Veer Mandavkar was nineKartik Barot Roshan Shelar and Om KadamThose who survived suffered staggering injuries Some had to undergo multiple surgeries and resort to months of bed rest As life limped back to normal Barot decided he was going to keep the legacy of their lost comrades alive ldquoThree months ago we got togetherrdquo says Roshan Shelar the scars still visible on his feet ldquoDhumalrsquos mother had only one request that we not retain the original name of the Pathak it was a painful reminder of her loss We agreed on Fatteshikast the name given to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajrsquos historic victory over Shaistekhan and his armyrdquoThe newly formed Pathak met midday at a godown on the first floor of a modest structure in Jai Bhim Nagar Goregaon East The godown is accessed via a steep external metal staircase and most of the space is taken up by the dhols dismantled and neatly stacked upldquoEveryone opened their hearts to usrdquo recalls Om Kadam ldquoWe got 21 dhols from a Pathak in Palghar 10 from a Pathak in Mumbai and R1 lakh from a Punebased group which we used for the treatment of the injured We got back to practicing and had a grand opening at the Maasaheb Meentai Thackeray Udyan in TardeordquoThe Pathak which now has 60 members are working to carry on the shared dream while passing on the knowledge to the younger generation They gather every Sunday morning at an open space in the industrial area in Goregaon West to practice they say they are already inundated with offersldquoThere is no formal training for this artrdquo says Barot who has now assumed the role of leader or Pathak Pramukh ldquoThe newbies are taught by the veterans and allowed to play at events once ready There is no criteria except a willingness to learn and the commitment to take the tradition forward Anyone can join you canrsquot put an age limit to artrdquoThe young players though have learned their lesson They wonrsquot allow minors to play at events ldquoIt is a responsibility and a big one Veerrsquos death was hard for us Children can come and learn with us but only those aged 18 and above are allowed to play at eventsrdquo says Shelar as we make our way gingerly down the precarious staircase Kadam watches our hesitation and laughs ldquoWe run up and down these massive drums in handrdquoThe ageold drum circleMaharashtrarsquos dholtasha tradition is an instrumental art form associated with festive and religious celebrations and rural village fairs or jatra Its origins some accounts say lie in military tradition with the drums used to stir up courage and determination in the soldiers It is VV Appaji Pendse who is credited with retaining the folk art in Maharashtra Inclusive in character dholtasha groups include women and members of other faiths Pune and Nashik are believed to have the best talent