Their jingling, mesmerizing sound evokes a riveting image of a girl swaying to the sensuous yet hypnotizing rhythm. A myriad of emotions are conveyed with every tinkle. They are not just a part of the Nartaki’s shringar, adorning her feet, as she dances to the rhythm of the music, but also a shringar to the “Taal” and the “Layakari”. They accentuate and intensify acoustically, the rhythmic movements of her feet. Their melodious ringing sound heightens the rhythmic aspects of her dance. As the Nartaki weaves patterns that reveal the architectonic beauty of the form, they create a poetry of their own.

Handed down from the guru, they are considered sacred and worshipped by the Nartaki, never to be thrown away after a performance, but instead placed on an aasan as a mark of respect. Their classical, percussive sound almost serves to fuse together one’s mind and soul. They lend a powerful yet divine sound adding charm, grace and spirituality to the Nartaki’s performance. Their lilting sound almost challenges the percussionists, often engaging them in a musical duet, each vying for attention with the other. With a barely audible mild whisper at one moment, to a thunderous sound at the next, its almost as if they were mocking the percussionists, drowning them out and filling our hearts and soul in the process. The sweet-toned, well-shaped, and dainty bells with asterisks for their presiding deities, leave a lingering tune in our hearts. Almost as if we could hear them sing. It’s like a love affair that never ends…..