The Music of Hindostan c6.121

c6.121

They then formed in a large circle, each with his drum slung, with two peacock feathers rising straight up from his *pagrī*, and a bunch that looked like grass with beans or pods at the end hanging down behind. Between man and man was a distance of two feet, which each kept accurate by touching his right-hand neighbour during the silent beats of the rhythm, beating in fact the silent beat on him. Rainu now danced amongst his men, shouting directions every now and then. He was distinguished not only by his absence of ornament, but by his abundant good humour and zest. The dance began with a wild prolonged shriek; this was followed by a steady monotonous beat on the drums as they walked round, apparently to settle themselves at their proper distances. Next they adopted a stealthy crouching step, all eyeing the centre, to a four-rhythm. The next dance, in three-rhythm, six beats, with the fifth and later on the sixth also omitted, or rather supplied only on a single drum, showed a limping gait. These were wedding dances, and without singing: the only sound beyond the pattering and shuffling of feet in the deep sand being an occasional whoop after the manner of Scotch reels. Then there was a funeral dance: nine men facing another row of nine and advancing as they retreated, and vice versa, with linked arms. This should have been at night; and they protested that it was ‘a foolish dance’ in the garishness of day. They chanted, without drums.