Shillong, Oct 20: Beyond the glitter of pandals and prayers to Goddess Durga, it is the beat of the dhak that is keeping Shillong’s Durga Puja united.
As thousands throng puja pandals across the city to celebrate the victory of good over evil, the Central Puja Committee (CPC) hosted its flagship Drum Beat Competition — a tradition now 30 years old.
It is not just a contest of rhythm. It is a ritual of unity.
CPC President Naba Bhattacharjee said the competition was started not just to judge drummers, but to sync the hearts of different puja committees.
“It was started to bring in coordination not only of the drums, but the coordination of hearts of different Puja committees together in sync with the beating of the drums,” Bhattacharjee said.
The event traces its roots to Ambika Kinnor, who came from North Bengal and brought drummers from the region together. For his contribution to keeping the tradition alive in the hill city, Kinnor was conferred the CPC’s highest honour—the Sarat Sanman Award in 2010-11.
This year too, drummers from across Shillong participated, their dhak slung over shoulders, sticks flying, filling the city with festive fervour. For the audience, it was music. For the Puja committees, it was a reminder — that despite different pandals, the beat remains one.
