Pandi melam is a classical percussion concert or melam (ensemble) led by the ethnic

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

instrument called the

chenda The Chenda (, ) is a cylindrical percussion instrument originating in the state of Kerala and widely used in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka in India. In Tulu Nadu (Coastal Karnataka), it is known as ''chende''. The instrument is strongly associat ...

and accompanied by

ilathalam Elathalam (or Ilathalam) is a musical instrument from Kerala in southern India. It is made completely of bronze and resembles a miniature pair of cymbals, played by holding one part in the left hand and banging the other cymbal against it. Althou ...

(cymbals), kuzhal and Kombu. A full-length Pandi, a melam based on a thaalam ( taal) with seven beats, lasts more than two-and-a-half hours, and is canonically performed outside temples. It has basically four stages, each of them with rhythmic cycles (thaalavattam) totalling 56, 28, 14 and seven respectively. The most celebrated Pandi Melam is staged inside a temple compound at the ''Vadakkunnathan'' shrine's precincts in the central Kerala town of

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

. For the last several years, Peruvanam Kuttan Marar is the lead conductor for this symphony of drums known as ''Elanjithara Melam''. Elsewhere, like in the pooram festivals of Aarattupuzha and Peruvanam near Thrissur and the rest of central and northern Kerala, it is performed outside temples. Another ensemble called

Panchari Melam Panchari Melam is a percussion ensemble, performed during Temple Festivals of Kerala, temple festivals in Kerala, India. Panchari Melam (or simply panchari), is one of the major forms of Chenda Melam (ethnic drum ensemble), and is the best-kno ...

, which is similar to Pandi going by the kind of instruments used but different in its rhythmic patterns and presentational gravitas, is predominantly played inside temples. Its masters (both living and dead) are ones who are specialists in Panchari Melam as well. The percussionist (Edamthala) who leads the Pandi melam is known as Melapramani, he will be the one who decides the duration and style of a Pandi melam. There are a lot of Melapramani in Pandi Melam stretching from the north to the south of Kerala, especially in Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam. The most famous and seniors who conduct the Pandi Melam are Padma Shri Peruvanam Kuttan Maarar (who used to be the pramani of famous Ilanjithara Melam of Thrissur Pooram from 1999 to 2022), Kizhakkoottu Aniyan Maarar (the current pramani of Ilanjithara Melam), Cheranalloor Shankarankutty Maarar, and Mattannoor Sankarankutty and the current leading famous specialist of Pandi Melam is Sri RLV Mahesh Kumar.

External links

Melam Collections

Pandi Melam performance
{{Music of Kerala Indian musical groups Kerala music Hindu music

See also

External links