Bardhaman. Playing the dhak is the traditional profession of 27 families in the neighborhood. Earlier, during the puja, husbands used to go to play the dhak, while the women spent their days happily. To overcome loneliness and earn extra income, they have been playing the dhak for about seven years. A group of female dhakis was formed. However, Mahalaya has arrived, yet the female dhak players of Daspara in the Madhupur area of Patuli, Purbasthali, are still disappointed due to a lack of offerings and bookings. They are worried that if the men leave to play the dhak on Chaturthi and Panchami, how will they spend the days of the puja? They hold onto just one hope that perhaps at the last moment, they might receive a call to go to some mandap and play the dhak.
Almost everyone in Daspara is engaged in the profession of playing the dhak and other musical instruments. Over the past seven years, along with the men, women have also traveled to various places for Durga Puja. Last year, these women had come to Hyderabad to play the dhak during the puja. This time, although the number of pujas at the local level has increased, the female dhakis have not received any funding or proper bookings. Shikha Das, who took the initiative to form the female dhakis' group in the area, said that husbands and sons play the dhak. Apart from Durga Puja, they used to go to play the dhak on various festivals. There used to be joy in the puja, but their minds kept wandering in search of a path. About seven years ago, she decided to play the dhak so she wouldn't have to stay alone and would get extra income. That was just the beginning. Now, 16-17 women of Daspara are associated with the work of playing the dhak. Shikha said that the number of pujas has increased because many people have started pujas with money from the Annapurna scheme. A booking had come from Odisha, but she did not take the booking because traveling so far now is not feasible. Besides, taking the dhaks by train is difficult. Getting bookings at the local level is better. Shikha's fellow dhakis, Chameli Das and Khukurani Das, said that they also used to go to play the dhak with the men, having fun together during the festival days. She doesn't know how the days of the puja will pass this time and feels sad. Apart from encouraging the women of the area to play the dhak, Sanyasi Das makes special efforts every year to ensure they get money. He is also a dhaki and was saying that pujas have increased, so the demand for women should have been there, but arrangements couldn't be made anywhere. Husbands and wives have been going together to play the dhak during puja times for the past few years; this time they will have to go alone. It would be better if they are called somewhere else at the last moment. While speaking, the dhaki's voice choked.
