Ghumot as the state’s heritage instrument : GOA
In 2019, Goa State Cabinet declared Ghumot as the state’s heritage instrument without monitor lizard skin which has sparked an aesthetics debate on folk music.Ghumot (or Ghumat) is a traditional membranophone percussion instrument that features in several religious and cultural practices of Goa.It is made with an earthen clay pot with one side left open and the mouth covered with animal hide, usually that of the Indian monitor lizard (now largely replaced by goat hide). The rim is designed to secure the membrane, and the instrument is often warmed near a bonfire to tighten the skin for enhanced sound.The ghumot player strikes on this tightly tied membrane to create sharp beats. The instrument is also played in a pre-wedding ‘roce’ ceremony of Goan Christians, where the ghumata vazop comes alive.
