India, Sept. 30 -- By Mihika Shah

Durga puja celebrations across India are incomplete without the rhythmic beats of the dhaak, locals say, and every year dhaakis from remote villages of West Bengal travel to Gurugram to keep the tradition alive. For them, the dhaak is both a devotion to Goddess Durga and a means of livelihood, they said.

Among the performers is Purno Ghorai, a skilled artisan in his late-50s, who spends most of the year crafting traditional instruments such as dhol and tabla. Since 1989, he has been playing the dhaak during Durga puja at the Community Centre in Sector 15 Part 2. "Playing the dhaak is my way of connecting with Goddess Durga. It is how I serve her during the festival," he said, smiling.

Meanwhile, At the...