Temple Musical Instruments Of Kerala

The performing arts of Kerala Kathakali, Kutiyattam, Mohiniattam, and other forms of dance and drama occupy a vital space in India s creative imagination. All these performances move to a music that is supported by Kerala s indigenous musical instruments a variety of drums and clappers, as well as a smaller number of pipes and strings. Quite a few of these instruments are also found associated with rituals and festivities in the temples of Kerala: the Itakka, Chenta, Timila, Milavu, Suddha Maddalam all membranophones; the aerophones Kurum Kulal and Kompu Vadyam; and Ilattalam, an idiophone. Notes on these instruments by a devoted student of the performing arts of Kerala are put together in this small volume the first English-language publication on the subject. Illustrations of each instrument accompany the texts. The author brings to his task the benefit of an intimate knowledge of each instrument, acquired through years of fieldwork, as well as an erudition born of his immersion in literary classics in Tamil, Malayalam and Sanskrit. The pieces here are a source too of the folklore associated with Kerala s musical instruments. The chief strength of the book, however, lies in the precise information it provides on each instrument its dimensions, materials, construction, playing techniques, methods of training, and, not least, its music. Apart from musicians and musicologists, this book would interest students of Kerala s folklore and anthropology, as well as general readers with a special interest in the arts and culture of Kerala.

On the Temple musical instruments of Kerala.

In this volume, sixty-eight of the world's leading authorities explore and describe the wide range of musics of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Nepal and Afghanistan. Important information about history, religion, dance, theater, the visual arts and philosophy as well as their relationship to music is highlighted in seventy-six in-depth articles.

Books dealing with ritualistic music, devotional dance forms and allied arts of Kerala arerare. Not much research has gone deep into these areas which cut across the periphery andsuperficial layers and touch the real core. The reasons could be many the practitionersinability to verbalise the content and substance of their art and their inhibition to violatethe rigid, protective, orthodox rules and norms intended to preserve their sanctity.The concept of Sangeetam that is Geetam, Vadyam and Nrityam or the Triad Arts, existedbefore fifteenth century, is still in vogue in the music of Kerala temples.This book deals with the Sopaana music, the traditional music of Kerala and seeks tothrow light on various ritualistic music and musical instruments and ritualistic dance Thalinanka Nrityam the precursor of Mohiniattam. Many facts and information relatedto the three areas, which were rarely known have been identified through systematicresearch of primary and secondary sources, especially the information contained in theold palm leaf manuscripts collected from ancient families and temples. It is hoped thatthe work will pave the way for those who want to go further in studying the temple arts ofKerala.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Panchavadyam is a work on temple arts of Kerala. It is an introduction to the most popular temple arts of Kerala. Among the Talavadyas (percussion ensembles) of Kerala Panchavadyam is the most popular among the temple arts of Kerala. Pancha means five and vadyam refers to the musical instruments. Even though five instruments are listed above, justifying the name panchavadyam, a sixth instruments namely, Shanku (conch) also forms an integral part of the panchavadyam performance. Chapter I, concerns its origin, its historical reference, its old and new forms and other instruments that come under the name panct6havadyam. Chapter II, deals with the construction of musical instruments like Timila, Maddalam, Idakka, Kombu, and Elattalam. Chapter III, describes the training of these musical instruments and the institutions imparting the training. Chapter IV, is mainly based on the performance of panchavadyam, its notations, number of musicians present in the concert. The final chapter is concerned with famous musicians of this art form.

One of the world's most exciting destinations, South India and Kerala offers majestic temples, exotic wildlife, spectacular festivals and thousands of miles of tropical coastline. Written by Rough Guides' team of India experts, this brand-new Rough Guide offers the best blend of critical reviews, in-depth background and tell-it-like it is advice on everything from yoga retreats and beaches to spotting wild tigers and elephants. Also inside The Rough Guide to South India and Kerala: · Get inspired with our trademark "things not to miss" and "author picks" by local experts · Learn how to book a train ticket, what to eat and cultural tips in our travel basics section. · Read features on trekking in the Cardamom Hills, discovering the sacred sites of Tamil Nadu or exploring the lazy backwaters of Kerala · Find your way across every inch of South India with full-color maps and easy-to-follow city and temple plans · Read the most detailed background on South Indian history, architecture and wildlife in contexts · Try speaking Tamil, Telugu or Malayalam with our handy language section Includes Goa, Kerala, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the Andaman Islands. Make the most of your trip with The Rough Guide to South India and Kerala.

Music and Temple Ritual in South India: Performing for Śiva documents the musical practices of the periya mēḷam, a South Indian instrumental ensemble of professional musicians who perform during the rituals and festivals of high-caste (Brahmanical) Tamil Hindu temples dedicated to the Pan-Indian god Śiva – an important patron of music since at least the tenth century. It explores the ways in which music and ritual are mutually constitutive, illuminating the cultural logics whereby performing and listening are integral to the kinetic, sensory and affective experiences that enable, shape and stimulate ritual communication in present-day devotional Hinduism. More than a rich and vivid ethnographic description of a local tradition, the book also develops a comprehensive and original analytical model, in which music is understood as both a situated and creative activity, and where the fluid relationship between humans and non-humans, in this case divine beings, is truly taken into consideration.