The tabla pairs two hand drums and drives North Indian music

world cultures & travelWikipedia18th century onward · Indian subcontinent

The tabla pairs two hand drums and drives North Indian music

the gist

The tabla is a pair of hand drums that has been the main percussion instrument of Hindustani classical music since the 18th century. The two drums differ in size and shape: the smaller, played with the right hand, is tuned to a pitch, while the larger bass drum on the left gives a deep sound, and both can be made of wood, clay or metal. The word likely derives from the Arabic tabl, meaning drum, but scholars disagree over its ultimate origin, though the earliest evidence points to indigenous drums, with drum-like instruments mentioned in Vedic-era texts. Tabla players use it solo, with singers and instruments, and in dance such as kathak.

how it works

Tuning works by tightening or loosening the cords and wooden blocks that hold each drumhead, and fine adjustments are made by striking the braided head with a small hammer. Changing membrane tension changes pitch, which lets the dayan match the key of the melody.

so what

It is also central to devotional singing in Hinduism and Sikhism, and to qawwali, the music of Sufi Muslims, so a single instrument crosses religious lines.

fun fact

Players speak the drum's sounds as syllables, called bols, before playing them.

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗