nagara
/nəˈɡɑːrə/noun
In South Asia: a bowl-shaped drum, typically played with a stick, often as one of a pair and frequently in military or ceremonial contexts; a kettledrum.
- The size and the material from which the drum is made varies regionally..
Origin
Mid 19th century. From Urdu naqqāra (also in colloquial pronunciation naqāra, nagāra) from Persian naqqāra and its etymon Arabic naqqāra (small) drum (with hemispherical base). Quot. 1970 probably reflects Bengali, Marathi, etc. nāgarā (probably altered by folk etymology; compare mahānāgarā large kettledrum).