Karnataka - Bangalore   

A taste of Kerala in Bangalore

Bangalore: Rhythm may be the indisputable soul of music, except in certain forms of art. Temple grounds turn into music festivals as this high-energy percussion based form of music, called the panchavadyam, hold the crowds captive.

From caparisoned elephants and colourful parasols to high-energy panchavadyam recitals, the “mandala” months or Ayyappa festival is marked by several temple festivals. Bangalore, with its huge population of Keralites, is almost transformed into a mini-Kerala with communities such as the Sri Sabari Ayyappa Seva Trust organising a four-day festival with homams, bhajans and festivities at the Odukathur Math.

“For us this is almost like going back to our villages and participating in our temple festival,” says P. Raghavan, who came to witness the panchavadyam performance. A troupe of 17 artistes from Kalamandalam mesmerised the gathering with their rhythmic rendition.

Panchavadyam, as its name suggests, comprises sounds from five traditional instruments. Though it is primarily percussion-based — comprising maddalam, edakka, thimila and elathalam — it is accompanied by kombu, a c-shaped wind instrument.

The rhythmic cycle starts at the lowest pace and slowly builds to a crescendo.

“The performance comprises five kalams, each set at a particular speed or rhythm,” explains P. Mohandas, who leads the orchestra. He drums the five basic tones to explain the basis of each. What is fascinating is that, through the three-hour performance, no two beats ever sound the same.

Panchavadyam is known as a devavadyam, owing to its inclusion in the Shiva Tandavam, the dance of lord Shiva. The maddalam is an instrument of the lord himself, he adds, stroking the instrument with pride. Mohandas has been learning this art since the age of 16. The youngest member of the troupe is Sharath S., who is 15 and travels with them.

“It is an extremely complex art. Artistes start with drumming on the rocks till their hands are firm enough to use the instrument,” says Balakrishna, a member of the trust and an ardent fan of this music form.

Mohandas’ troupe plays at different locations in Kerala. “December is a good month for us because we get offers from several such Ayyappa trusts in Bangalore,” he adds.

While learning this art is a part of ancestral lineage for some, others like Mohandas and Swaminathan are purely driven by devotion and passion. “It is a pleasure for us to perform in Bangalore because of the response we get. People see us a connection to their motherland,” he adds with a smile.

While panchavadyam is more prominent in Central Kerala, most of the artistes come from Malabar district, says Swaminathan, who plays the elathalam.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Soon, you can eat in style at railway station
They live in perpetual fear of disaster
Stop dividing people in the name of religion, says High Court judge
Role of art in maintaining harmony
‘Name new train after Sangolli Rayanna’
Special round after one polio case was detected
Pulse polio drive is to develop a health society: Governor
Teachers urge Centre to withdraw new pension scheme
Fans not happy with the pitch
Double treat for music lovers
A taste of Kerala in Bangalore
‘5 p.c. of middle-class have rainwater harvesting units’
India’s first Oxford Blue

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu