The Travancore Devaswom Board has prohibited the use of the percussion instrument Nashik dhol drum within the premises of all temples under the board.
The sound produced by the said instrument is of high decibels, creates noise pollution, and can be potentially harmful to the hearing of young children and the elderly. It is not a “deva vadya” but an “asura vadya”, a press note issued by the TDB said.
Temples under the TDB normally uses instruments of ‘panchavadyam’ and musical instruments such as mridangam and shanghu, in accordance with the temple traditions and rituals.
But the Nashik dhol, which has its origins in Nashik, Maharashtra, has an outer cover of steel, produces sound of over 100 decibels, while the human ear can tolerate only up to 40 decibels. The TDB which met here on Wednesday under president Prayar Gopalakrishnan decided to ban this drum in all temples under it.
