bhankora

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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}

The bhankora (plural: bhankore) is a type of brass instrument made of copper that is prominently used in the folk music of Uttarakhand in India, especially in the Garhwal region.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SYM4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT221|title=Recasting Folk in the Himalayas: Indian Music, Media, and Social Mobility|first=Stefan|last=Fiol|date=11 September 2017|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=9780252099786|via=Google Books}} The instrument is aerophonic and used in religious Garhwal folk god summoning, most notably the Pandav Lila and Nanda Devi Raj Jat. The instrument is played only by upper class Garhwalis during the Naubat, Dhanyal, and Dev Jatra types of religious ritual performances also its used in wars in uttrakhand ancient times . The bhankora is made of copper and is about 36 inches long and about 3 inches in diameter; it creates a sweet melodious sound and tone.{{Cite web|title = Bhankora an Aero Phonic or Wind Musical Instrument used in Religious Garhwal Folk Dramas » Bedupako.com™|url = http://bedupako.com/blog/2014/05/09/bhankora-an-aero-phonic-or-wind-musical-instrument-used-in-religious-garhwal-folk-dramas/#axzz3n66ubPan|website = bedupako.com|accessdate = 2015-09-29|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150930065625/http://bedupako.com/blog/2014/05/09/bhankora-an-aero-phonic-or-wind-musical-instrument-used-in-religious-garhwal-folk-dramas/#axzz3n66ubPan|archive-date = 30 September 2015|url-status = dead}}

Bhankora or bhonkara is Uttarakhand's native musical instrument. This is handmade in copper metal by local Tamta artisans of Uttarakhand traditionally. The size of Bhankora varies from region to region. However traditionally the ideal height of full sized bhankora is supposed to be from ground till the ears of a normal sized person. Bhankora an Aero Phonic or Wind Musical Instrument in Garhwali Folk Drama, Folk Rituals, Community ideas and Traditional Plays from Chamoli Garhwal, North India, South Asia

The full sized version of this instrument is played during ceremonial prayers at temples, and at the Pandav Lila, a ritual re-enactment of episodes from the Mahabharata in the Garhwal region.{{Cite journal|title=Controlling Time in Epic Performances: An Examination of Mahābhārata Performance in the Central Himalayas and Indonesia.Bhankora an Aero Phonic or Wind Musical Instrument in Garhwali Folk Drama, Folk Rituals, Community Theaters and Traditional Plays from Chamoli Garhwal, North India, South Asia|first=Andrew|last=Alter|date=April 1, 2011|journal=Ethnomusicology Forum|volume=20|issue=1|pages=57–78|doi=10.1080/17411912.2011.549362|s2cid=193246028}}