Raju Dumargoi’s cheeks bulge as he begins to play the tarpi (also called tarpa). The five-feet-long musical instrument made of bamboo and dried bottle gourd instantly comes to life, and the sound of the wind instrument fills the air.
One could not help but notice the musician and his peculiarly-shaped instrument at the exhibition grounds in Raipur, Chhattisgarh where the National Tribal Dance Festival organised by the state government was held from 27 - 29 December, 2020.
The musician Raju, from Ka Thakur community, explained that he played the tarpi at home in Gundacha Pada, a hamlet in Palghar, Maharashtra during Dussehra and Navratri and other festivals.
Also read: ‘My tarpa is my deity’