''Chimta'' (, Shahmukhī: ) literally means

tongs Tongs are a type of tool used to grip and lift objects instead of holding them directly with hands. There are many forms of tongs adapted to their specific use. Design variations include resting points so that the working end of the tongs d ...

. Over time it has evolved into a traditional instrument of

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

by the permanent addition of small brass jingles. This instrument is often used in popular Punjabi folk songs, Bhangra music and the

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

religious music known as Gurbani Kirtan. The player of the chimta is able to produce a chiming sound if he holds the joint of the instrument in one hand and strikes the two sides of the chimta together. The jingles are made of metal and thus it produces a metallic sound and helps to keep up the beat of the song. In Bhangra music or at weddings it is often combined with

Dhol Dhol () can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in Indian subcontinent primarily includes northern areas such ...

and Bhangra dancers.

Construction and design

The chimta consists of a long, flat piece of

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

that is pointed at both ends, and folded over in the middle. A metal ring is attached near the fold, and there are jingles or rings attached along the sides at regular intervals. Sometimes there are seven pairs of jingles. The rings are plucked in a downward motion to produce tinkling sounds. Chimtas with large rings are used at rural festivals while ones with smaller rings are often used as an accompaniment to Bhangra dancers and singers of traditional Indian hymns.

Notable players

The late

Alam Lohar Alam Lohar () was a Pakistani Punjabi folk music singer. He is widely regarded as the greatest singer of Punjabi folk music. He is credited with creating and popularising the musical term Jugni. Early life Alam Lohar was born in 1928 in Ac ...

is famous for playing this instrument and introducing it to global audiences. Today, musicians like Kamal Heer and

Arif Lohar Arif Lohar (; born 18 April 1966) is a Pakistani singer who is associated with Punjabi folk music and an occasional actor. The son of the renowned folk singer Alam Lohar, Arif Lohar became popular in Pakistan and India after his famous song " ...

play this instrument. Also known as the "rusty tambourine sword", the chimta has been played by members of the experimental rock band

His Name Is Alive His Name Is Alive is an American experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label. Throughout the band's long history, leader Wa ...

on recent tours.

References

{{Musical instruments of Nepal Punjabi culture Indian musical instruments Bhangra (music) Punjabi words and phrases Asian percussion instruments Folk instruments of Punjab Pakistani musical instruments