JayJagabalia

Pahandi, Stepping out of the temple precincts

The journey of the deities to the world outside, starts with an elaborate royal ritual called Pahandi - literally, going forward in a step by step movement to the accompaniment of several devotees beating the ghanta, kahali and telingi baja.

The ghanta is a type of a gong, shaped like a flattish hollow bowl, and is made of kamsa, bell metal, an alloy of brass and zinc. A small baton like stick made of a hard but flexible piece of cane is used to beat the simple musical instrument. The ghanta is made by traditional artisan groups � kansaris, who live in villages not far from Puri. Kahali is a type of trumpet while the telingi baja is a simple drum, a percussion instrument played on both sides with canes">