Dholak Manufacturing Unit
The dholak is a popular two-headed barrel-shaped Indian folk drum made by shaping seasoned wood on a lathe and attaching leather or plastic membranes with ropes, metal rings, and tuning paste. This project profile outlines the setup of a small-scale manufacturing unit for producing dholaks to serve traditional music and cultural events.
Project cost & finance
Cost of Project
figures in ₹ Lakhs
| Plant & Machinery | 3.75 |
| Other Misc. Assets | 0.25 |
| Working Capital | 1.89 |
| Total | 5.89 |
|---|
Means of Finance
figures in ₹ Lakhs
| Own Contribution | 0.59 |
| Term Loan | 3.6 |
| Working Capital Loan | 1.7 |
| Total | 5.89 |
|---|
Raw materials & machinery
Machinery & equipment6
- Wooden LatheBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to perform machining on outside of wooden square
- Drill machineBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to penetrate even openings on the two sides of wood
- ScissorsBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to cut cowhide to size
- Pointed ChiselBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to pierce hole in leather sheet
- Hand HacksawBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to perform cutting operation over wooden blocks
- Hand FilersBuy on Amazon ↗
Help to smooth edges and tune for sound
Raw materials7
- Barrel Shaped WoodBuy on Amazon ↗
Made of sheesham, mango or jackfruit tree
- Metal RingsBuy on Amazon ↗
Attached to the dholak to assist with fixing the rope
- RopesBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to tie cowhide sheets for tuning
- Dholak SocketBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to insert hook and tighten head
- Dholak HookBuy on Amazon ↗
Used to hold head attached to body
- Leather or plastic sheetsBuy on Amazon ↗
Outer skin and membrane surface
- Stone powder and Maida starchBuy on Amazon ↗
Mixed with engine oil to apply on layer for sound
Manufacturing process
- Cut mango tree wood into wooden squares and season them for a long duration to prepare the external layer.
- Transform seasoned wooden blocks into barrel-shaped dholaks using a wooden lathe and hand tools, crafting designs over the surface.
- Cut leather or plastic sheets into round shapes and soak them in water for 30 minutes before joining to bamboo rings.
- Apply a mixture of harika stone powder, maida starch, and engine oil at the center of the leather sheets to achieve the required pitch and tone.
- Pierce holes in the leather and use cotton rope to lace the sheets in a zigzag manner between metal rings from chatti to base.
- Pull and tighten the rope to stretch the membrane, test the instrument, and prepare for market sale.
Market
Dholaks have extensive demand across northern India and export markets for traditional functions, sangeet ceremonies, folk songs, bhangra, bhajans, and kirtans.
From the project report
