Drumbeats

“Tog, tog, tog…!” I could hear the deafening beats of the drum at dusk and dawn every day. This thunderous sound for countless times has stolen my sanity early in the morning while I was still in bed snoring. Not only that, it snatched my focus as well while I was teaching in the afternoon. More than just telling stories, I hope I’m good at showing characters too, but I struggle describing how awful this ear-splitting pound of the drum that echoes round the temple. It was dreadful, but I think got so immune to it eventually. As dusk fell yesterday and today, I had my camera ready to take some photos of monks doing this routine. This has been on for a month now.

I have finally asked my boss who is a monk about the significance of this tradition. According to him, when watch wasn’t invented yet, the beat of the drum told time for farmers to wake up and go to the field before the crack of dawn and leave the field before the dusk falls. Buddhism in this country has kept this ritual over the years. Two more months and then I will have my total tranquility back. For now, I just have to bear this strident thumping of an instrument. After all I am just an outsider.