The Dholak (sometimes dholaki) is a classical North Indian hand drum. A dholak may have traditional lacing or turnbuckle tuning. The dholak has a simple membrane on the right-hand side. The left-hand membrane has a special coating on the inner surface. This coating is a mixture of tar, clay and sand (dholak masala) which lowers the pitch and provides a well-defined tone. The dholak is the main accompaniment instrument of the Qawwali. Drum carried by John Unger, Company B, 40th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry Mozart Regiment, December 20, 1863 Several American Indian-style drums for sale at the National Museum of the American Indian. ... Qawwali (Arabic: قوٌالی ) is the devotional music of the Sufis. ...

The Dholak is often used in Filmi Sangeet or Indian film music. It is also used extensively in chutney music, the local Indian music of the Caribbean. It is the main instrument along with the harmonium brought by the indentured immigrants to Trinidad. It is played widely in both chutney and filmi songs. Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. ... Chutney music is a form of music indigenous to the southern Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname) which derives elements from soca and Hindi film songs. ...