Definitions for "Damaru"
Keywords:  hourglass, drum, tantric, shiva, lord
Drum of Siva
Small hour-glass-shaped drum that is played with one hand : the rapid rotatory motion of the wrist propels a small ball attached to a string to strike alternately the two sides of the drum. One of the signs of Lord Shiva, featured mainly in depictions of this god in the form of "Nataraj" or Lord of dance, it then becomes the symbol of sound as the primary element of the cosmos in creation. Widely used in Himalayan areas, it is prevalent in both ritual and profane music. During the Mughal period, this drum was associated with a class of musicians called hurukiya who performed mainly on festive occasions but also knew dhrupad singing.
hourglass-shaped two-headed “schaman's drum” carried and played by Tantric deities and practitioners.