The bhankora (plural: ''bhankore'') is a type of made of copper that is prominently used in the

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, especially in the

Garhwal region Garhwal (IPA: /ɡəɽʋːɔɭ/) is one of the two administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the ...

. The instrument is aerophonic and used in religious Garhwal folk dramas, most notably the ''

Pandav Lila ''Pandav Lila'' or ''Pandav Nritya'' (Sanskrit; literally "play of the Pandavas" and "dance of the Pandavas" respectively) is a ritual re-enactment of stories from the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', through singing, dancing and recitation, that is pr ...

and

Nanda Devi Raj Jat The three-week-long Nanda Devi Raj Jat (नंदा देवी राज जात) is a pilgrimage and festival of Uttarakhand. India. The Raj-Jaat is celebrated in Chamoli Garhwal district, and traditionally only the deities of Garhwal Div ...

''. The instrument is played only by upper class Garhwalis during the Naubat, Dhanyal, and Dev Jatra types of religious ritual performances. The bhankora is made of copper and is about 36 inches long and about 3 inches in diameter; it creates a sweet melodious sound and tone. Bhankora or bhonkara is Uttarakhand's native musical instrument. This is handmade in copper metal by local Tamta artisans of Uttarakhand traditionally. The size of Bhankora varies from region to region. However traditionally the ideal height of full sized bhankora is supposed to be from ground till the ears of a normal sized person. Bhankora an Aero Phonic or Wind Musical Instrument in Garhwali Folk Drama, Folk Rituals, Community ideas and Traditional Plays from Chamoli Garhwal, North India, South Asia The full sized version of this instrument is played during ceremonial prayers at temples, and at the ''

'', a ritual re-enactment of episodes from the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

'' in the

References

Indian musical instruments Culture of Uttarakhand Brass instruments Folk music instruments Trumpets {{brass-instrument-stub