Nāgārā

Nāgārā [Arab. *naqqāra], large kettledrum of India, of Near Eastern origin, with hemispheric body. In Bengal it is made of clay, with a laced head attached in zigzag pattern to 2 leather belts. Elsewhere the shell is of copper, brass, or sheet iron, and the head is either laced to the belts or stretched over a hoop and laced to the underside of the drum. A temple instr., it is also used in outdoor ceremonies, when it is placed on a 2-wheeled carriage or on the back of a decorated elephant. See…