A waterbody known as boro Kalibarir dighi, surrounding a giant monument of Shiva, serves as the epicentre of the nondescript town of Dharmanagar in Tripura. A place in the middle of an urban chaos where locals and tourists flock every evening in search of a tranquil spot. Often a soothing melody pierces through engine roars, impatient honking of vehicles, and bustling crowds, pulling people in the direction of the music.
A man in his 60s sitting near the lake plays popular folk songs on a long-necked lute-like instrument. Eyes closed, he plucks the strings with one hand, moving the other across the narrow fingerboard. The few curious people gathered around him know neither his instrument, nor the melody, nor the name of this artist from Mali community, listed as Scheduled Caste in Tripura.
But just 15 kilometres away, in the small gram panchayat of Sarala (under Kadamtala Block) in North Tripura district, everyone recognises Ratish Malakar as ‘the dotara player.’













