Chod Damaru Drum Sets

Chöd means “cutting through,” and it is among the most striking practices in Tibetan Buddhism. Developed in the eleventh century by Machig Labdrön — a Tibetan yogini, and the rare case of a practice that originated in Tibet and was then transmitted back to India — chöd works by confronting fear directly rather than avoiding it. The practitioner visualises offering their own body to whatever they most dread, severing the attachment to self that fear depends on. It has traditionally been practised alone, in charnel grounds and other frightening places, and the Chod damaru drum is the instrument that accompanies it.

A Chod damaru drum is double-headed and played one-handed. Two strikers hang from cords at the waist of the drum, and a twist of the wrist swings them so they strike each head in turn, producing the continuous rolling pulse that carries the chanting. It is held in the right hand while the bell is held in the left, and in full practice the kangling, the thighbone trumpet, is sounded alongside it. The rhythm can be played in unison with a group or used for solitary practice.

Historically the Chod damaru drum was made from two human skull caps joined at the crown — the thöpa damaru — in keeping with a practice built around the contemplation of death and the dissolution of the body. That tradition has long since passed out of use, and drums are now made from wood, which is what we offer here.

Our Chod damaru drum sets are handmade by skilled artisans in Patan, Nepal, turned from Nepali wood and finished with a copper ring gilded in 24 karat gold. The leather heads are specially treated and stretched to give the drum its tone, and each set includes its carrying case. Both drums measure 5.5 inches across, at heights of 3.25 and 3.5 inches — a size that suits solo practice and travels well.

Browse the Chod damaru drum sets below, or see the vajra and bell held alongside the drum in practice, the kapala that shares its charnel-ground symbolism, and our full range of Tibetan ritual items. Chöd is closely bound to the dakinis, whose statues you can see in our Dakini statues collection.