The kharsil staff, carried by monks, is originally said to have been used to make noise to scare away animals, snakes and insects while the monks went on their alms arounds. The staff is no longer in common use in Bhutan today but it is used occasionally in a ceremonial manner during monastic procession. The main body of the staff is a thin wooden pole and it has layers of metal designs and little metal plates which make sharp noise when the staff is used.