The chaTi, as it is known in the Chandigarh area, is known by several other names, one of the most common being teeli. But whatever the name, it is always made of cane. Cane (baint) is very flexible while at the same time it is very strong and resists breaking. This chair in my apartment (right) is made of cane.

Cane (as well as bamboo) grows in the hilly areas, so it is not something that a dholi of the Punjab plains will find freely available in his environment. Hence one must buy it in the market for 5-15 rupees per large piece. A piece of cane about one meter long will yield 8 chatis. I bought this piece at the rope store mentioned earlier.

The cane is first divided into segments (in this case, two) the length of a chati. Different dhol traditions appear to prefer different sizes of chatis. Garib Dass' chattis are 10-15% shorter than many of the other chatis I see out there. His belief is that smaller chatis translate into more finesse when playing, although I think they also produce a lighter tone, which is characteristic of his style. He showed me chatis that were even smaller than average, which he claims are good for playing tirkats (fast licks). Dholis of the Mahasha community in Jalandhar and Amritsar play with the largest chatis I have seen.

Note the node at the end of this chati.

Chatis are carved out of each piece with a penknife. The end that strikes the drumhead is rounded off, with the knife blade and/or by rubbing it against something coarse like the concrete floor. The chati requires no sanding; the stringy or rough bits tend to naturally smoothen with handling.

At this point, the chati is finished, but Garib Dass adds one more step. To prevent its splitting, string is wrapped around the chatti near the striking end. Garib Dass' trade secret is a daub of wood glue -- that his son brought from Canada! -- applied to the string to keep it from unravelling. The local 'Fevicol' works just as well!

Detail of striking end.

A very strange kind of chati has been rearing its ugly head. It is long and thick, and made of plastic with a knob on the grip end.

In Meerut (U.P.), city of band-makers, these sticks are sold primarily to players of taasha (a shallow kettle drum used in processions) to be used in sets of 2. It is rumoured that they are made in that city (home of the plastic drumhead, no less), and so they were probably adapted for dhol later on.

India's Freudian advertising…

at its best.

"Enjoy."