Tengteng is a folk instrument of Assam, made of a piece of bamboo having nodes at either end. Two strips of bark from one side of the cylinder is taken removing and scrapping the remaining parts in between. Then bamboo ridges are made at each end of the strips. It is played with a small bamboo stick. This instrument of the Cowherd is not seen now a days.
Baghdhenu (Cross-Bow) is made of a spike of light bamboo about 2/3 ft. long. When the bamboo spike is twirled over the head by holding the second piece of bamboo stick (about 1 foot long) or just the rope, it emits a sound. The Misings call it “Bu-Bung”. Though it is not accompanied with any type of music it is believed that when played, rain is invoked
Dhutong of the Morans is made from one year old bamboo variety called “Jati Bah” in Assam. The nodes and outer rinds are cleared off and made thinner. Then it is baked for a while. One of the open ends is placed on the abdomen and struck twice with a bamboo stick about 1 foot long. By repetition of the process a sweet musical sound “Tung-tung-tang-tang” is produced. In earlier days it used to one of the main instruments of folk festivals. The Deoris call this instrument Denthou and is played by cowherds.
Dumpak by the Misings is made from the bamboo cylinder with node at one end and played with a bamboo stick or fingers. The end with the node is scrapped slightly on one side and is struck with the stick/fingers to emit various sounds. It is accompanied with Ai-nitam, Lotta-choman and Lereli choman festivals. The Deoris call it Dhultong.
From the shape and sound of Hutuli, it can be deduced that this instrument imitates birds. It is made of sticky soil. In Assamese culture during the festival of Bohag Bihu, Hutuli has an importance of its own. Initially, the cowboys (Gorokhiya lora) used Hutuli as a toy, because of ease of construction. Hutuli is played by both boys and girls in Bihu, but most importantly Hutuli is an indispensable part of Jeng Bihu and Bihuwati dances, and predominantly played by girls.
The Karbi community calls it Torlit and it is made in the imitation of the sound of the cicada to invoke rain. The Karbi young boys play the Torlit to amuse in their slash-and-burn cultivation. The Rabha community calls it Gugubela or Gugumela and is made of sticky soil in hemispherical shape. It is played by cowherds in leisure time of cultivation.