The Drummers: Rhythms from the Margins

Durga Puja — an epic cultural celebration deeply embedded in Bengali identity — is sonically incomplete without the resonating beats of the dhak. But behind the festive spectacle lies a lesser-seen narrative of hardship and dignity.

This project documents the dhakis — traditional drummers from Bengal who travel across India each year to perform during Durga Puja. These men, mostly landless agricultural labourers from districts like Malda, Birbhum, Murshidabad, and Midnapore, transform into travelling musicians during the festival. Their music, though iconic and essential, comes with no assurance of livelihood.

Every year, around 750 dhakis migrate in hopes of securing performance contracts. Only some are officially hired by Puja committees, which may offer basic food and accommodation. Others wait on city sidewalks with nothing but their instruments and hope, seeking freelance gigs. Their earnings are meagre — often Rs. 4000 from organizers, plus a few thousand in tips. These men, whose drums define the emotional core of Durga Puja, remain excluded from its economic celebrations.

But the struggle doesn’t end with underpayment. The journey to metropolitan centres like Delhi or Mumbai is fraught with exploitation. Dhakis often face police harassment at transit points under suspicion, despite submitting to metal detector screenings. Many are coerced into paying bribes to pass with their instruments. On the return journey, with a few thousand rupees in hand, they are even more vulnerable to theft and extortion.

This visual story captures the paradox: while their drumming electrifies one of India’s grandest festivals, the drummers themselves remain marginal — socially, economically, and geographically. During the season of divine reverence and cultural pride, they are anonymous, underpaid, and often forgotten.

This project seeks to give them a voice through image and narrative. To document not just their performance, but their displacement. Not just their rhythm, but their reality.

SAUVIK ACHARYYA

: Adorned and ready, the dhak drummers stand in procession, their powerful instruments poised to fill the air with the electrifying rhythms of Durga Puja. This image captures the anticipation and dedication of the dhakis, who travel far to be the heart of the festival’s soundscape.

: From a low perspective, the iconic dhak drums become monumental shapes, carried with quiet determination by the drummers whose labor and rhythm define Durga Puja. This view emphasizes both the weight of their instrument and the dignity of their unseen efforts.

: The hands that bring Durga Puja to life. This close-up highlights the simple yet powerful tools—a stick and a metallic disc—used by the dhakis to create the iconic beats of the dhak, locally known as ‘Kansor Ghanta’, a testament to their skill and the timeless tradition they uphold amidst their challenging journeys.

: The dhak drums, dressed in their festive best, await the rhythmic energy of Durga Puja. These decorated instruments represent the vibrant heart of the festival, yet stand as a silent testament to the unseen journeys and struggles of the dhakis who bring them to life.

: Between performances, migrant dhakis find moments of rest and camaraderie. This scene offers a rare glimpse into their temporary living spaces, where conversations and quiet reflection unfold amidst their essential dhak drums, highlighting the human stories behind the grand Durga Puja celebrations.

: For many migrant dhakis, the city sidewalks become their temporary home during Durga Puja. Exhausted from their journey and the waiting, they rest beside their dhak drums, embodying the silent struggle behind the grand festivities. This image captures their transient reality.

: Simple flip-flops on the pavement, a quiet pause in a journey marked by hardship. These are the humble tools of travel for the migrant dhakis, symbolizing their tireless efforts and the often-unseen struggles they face to bring the rhythms of Durga Puja to life.

: The silent dhak drums rest, awaiting their moment to resonate with the beats of Durga Puja. Behind them, young drummers from Bengal, often mere boys, endure long waits and uncertain prospects, embodying the untold stories of hardship and hope that accompany the festive season.

: Even away from the main stages, the rhythm of the dhak calls. Here, migrant dhakis prepare for performances, perfecting their beats and movements. These are the sounds and faces behind Durga Puja, often practicing in makeshift spaces, embodying dedication despite their challenging circumstances.

: The dhak drums, silent for a moment, waiting by a wall. For the migrant dhakis, these instruments are both their livelihood and their burden, accompanying them on journeys fraught with uncertainty as they travel across India to bring the rhythms of Durga Puja to life. This image captures the essence of their transient existence.

: Amidst the festive fervor of Durga Puja, a moment of respite for the dhakis. Many drummers, often landless agricultural laborers, travel far from their homes in Bengal, seeking meager earnings and basic accommodation while their beats define the heart of the celebrations. This image captures their reality beyond the performance, a quiet dignity in displacement.

: After arduous journeys and before demanding performances, dhakis rest on the floor, their drums serving as silent companions, under the distant gaze of the Durga idols.

: A dhaki meticulously tunes his traditional dhak drum, a crucial step in preparing for the powerful rhythms of the Durga Puja festival.

: In a quiet moment, a dhaki looks upwards, his gaze reflecting a blend of contemplation and hope amidst the demanding reality of his craft.

: A dhaki sits with his essential dhak drum inside an auto-rickshaw, his gaze reflecting the resolve of a long journey to perform during Durga Puja.

: Amidst a rapt audience, a performer holding a smoking censer embodies devotion, while the dhakis provide the essential rhythmic backdrop to the Durga Puja celebrations.

: A close-up on the bare feet and traditional attire of a dhaki reveals the grounded reality and tireless movement behind the vibrant rhythms of Durga Puja.

: Dhakis meticulously prepare their impressive dhak drums, a scene of quiet dedication before the onset of the festive Durga Puja beats.

: A powerful low-angle shot captures a dhol player mid-performance, showcasing the raw energy and traditional artistry within the “Rhythms from the Margins” series.

: A dhaki demonstrates the full range of his traditional artistry, playing an instrument with his mouth while balancing a pot on his head, amidst the divine presence of Durga idols.

: Within temporary and often humble accommodations, a dhaki finds a moment of rest under a mosquito net, far from home during the Durga Puja festival.

: Long exposure captures the dynamic movement of dhakis as their rhythms fill the pandal, animating the Durga Puja celebrations.

: Dhakis, their dhols slung across their shoulders, embark on the arduous journey to cities, a poignant symbol of their annual migration for Durga Puja.

: A powerful low-angle shot captures a dhol player mid-performance, showcasing the raw energy and traditional artistry within the “Rhythms from the Margins” series.