Nepal and Eastern India
Nepalese – Indian

Wood, goat skin, leather, metal, black paste
Mid 20th century
Length: 16.5 in, Diameters: 5 and 3.5 in
Membranophones – Struck Membranophones

The madal is a double-headed barrel drum of Nepal and eastern India.  It serves primarily as a folk instrument used mainly for rhythm keeping in secular songs and dances.  The two drumheads with different diameter sizes are made of double-layered goat skins fixed to the body of the drum by leather strips looped through the edges of the skin heads and then running the length of the body.  Both drumheads have a black paste (syahi) made of flour, iron filings, and egg, burned into a circular area in the center to add weight to the heads.  This tuning paste almost covers the entire skin of the larger drumhead, but only one third of the smaller head.  Metal loops are used for tightening the straps.  It is played horizontally in a seated position with both drumheads played simultaneously with the hands.  In the 1980s, the well-known Nepali musician Ranjit Gazmer introduced the madal to Bollywood music and it has been used in numerous Bollywood songs since.