Pakhawaj

Before there was tabla, there was pakhawaj.

This is the ancient barrel drum of North India, still the voice of dhrupad, the oldest surviving Hindustani vocal style, and still played in traditional kirtan and Odissi accompaniment. It lies horizontal and speaks with full open-handed strokes, deeper and more sonorous than tabla.

Who learns it today? Dhrupad students, traditional kirtan players, Odissi accompanists, and tabla players who want to understand where their own instrument came from. The technique is more open-handed and less finger-driven than tabla, so it is a related instrument to learn rather than an easy transfer.

How does it tune? The treble head tunes with a hammer through the lacing and tuning blocks, like a very large dayan. The bass head traditionally takes fresh atta dough applied before playing and removed afterwards.

Pakhawaj or jori? Same family. The jori splits the pakhawaj into two upright drums in the Punjab tradition. The pakhawaj is the single horizontal barrel.

$509 to $869. Prices include free shipping to the USA, UK, Germany, Australia and many more countries.

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  • Vijay Vhatkar Pakhawaj, Sheesham, 24"

    Vijay Vhatkar Pakhawaj, Sheesham, 24" (No. 501)

    Vijay Vhatkar Pakhawaj, Sheesham, 24" (No. 501)
    $869.00
  • Maharaja Musicals Pakhawaj, Sheesham

    Maharaja Musicals Pakhawaj, Sheesham (No. 57)

    Maharaja Musicals Pakhawaj, Sheesham (No. 57)
    $509.00

Questions we get asked

Who learns pakhawaj today?
Dhrupad students, traditional kirtan players, Odissi accompanists, and tabla players who want to drink from the source.
How does it tune?
The treble head tunes with a hammer through the lacing and blocks, like a giant dayan. The bass head traditionally takes a fresh dough of atta before playing, wiped off after.
Pakhawaj or jori?
Same family. The jori splits the pakhawaj into two upright drums in the Punjab tradition. The pakhawaj is the single horizontal barrel.