Musical instrument or ritual object? The status of the kettledrum in the temples of Central Nepal

Abstract

Throughout Nepal, at Sivaite and Mother Goddess temples, kettledrums (sometimes incorporated into ritual ensembles with shawms and natural trumpets) provide music to accompany daily offerings and sacrifices. This paper focuses on the kettledrums of Gorkhā Darbār in order to show that the musical instruments in use at Nepalese Hindu temples are primarily auspicious ritual objects, despite their inherent impurity resulting from the use of animal skins in their manufacture and their contact with untouchable musicians. Historical perspectives that suggest reasons for the sacred quality of the kettledrum are considered.

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