Although a string instrument and similar to the ektara, the khamak is not used for drone but rather for rhythmic accompaniment. This instrument is best described as an one-headed drum which, by means of a string attached to it, is plucked rather than beaten. Dating some 500 years back, the khamak originally had a single string but was later modified by one of the eminent baul singer purna das baul's ancestors and now contains two strings. In Bengali, the khamak is called 'Ananda Lahori' meaning 'Lightening of Delight' and it is considered very special. Known in Bengal as primarily the Khamak, this instrument is sometimes called the Gopichand, Gopiyantra, Gubi or Gabu and it is used in all Indian folk music as a rhymic percussion intrument.The player holds the body of the instrument under his left arm while his left hand pulls the small brass drum, jerking it slightly, almost unnoticeably. This controls the tension on the strings and sets the fundamental tone of the melody when the strings are plucked....the performer plucks them briskly with the plectrum held in his right hand. However, the fundamental tone produced does not remain fixed and completely depends on the tension applied to the strings.

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