Dhimay or Dhimaya is a double-headed cylindrical drum with a big wooden or metallic body. It a type of struck drum, technically a membranophone

Membranophone

A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....

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History

According to local legends, the instrument is believed to be invented by Mahadev

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

. The drum has been played since the Kirat era. The drum is played mostly by Jyapu community. However, Ranjitkar

Ranjitkar

Ranjitkar is one of the castes of Newar. The Newari caste system is divided according to profession...

s and other castes also play it.

Drum

The size of this instrument varies from diameter of 40 inches to 51 inches and length of 17 inches to 21 inches. The body(barrel) is made up of wood. This is covered with metal like bronze.

This instrument is played with instruments like Bhushya, Chushya, Tai-nai. and recently even western instruments like guitar.

Festivals

The festivals in which the instrument is played are-

• Janabahaadya chariot festival
• Bungdya chariot festival
• Yenya punhi
• New year of Nepal Sambat
  Nepal Sambat
  Nepal Sambat is the national lunar calendar of Nepal. It was used throughout Medieval Nepal, and into early modern Nepal, until Chandra Sumsher decided to remove it in BS 1960. It was started in 880 AD during the reign of King Raghav Dev to commemorate the payment of all the debts of Nepalese...
  
  
• Biska Jatra