- Pandi Melam
Pandi melam is a classical percussion concert or melam (ensemble) led by the ethnic
Kerala instrument called thechenda and accompanied byilathalam (cymbals),kuzhal andkombu .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 largely four stages, each of them with rhythmic cycles (thaalavattam) totalling 56, 28, 14 and seven respectively.The most celebrated Pandi Melam, ironically, is staged inside a temple compound -- at the Vadakkunnathan shrine's precincts in the central Kerala town of
Thrissur . Elsewhere, like in the pooram festivals of Aarattupuzha and Peruvanam near Thrissur, and rest of central and northern Kerala, it is performed outside temples. Another ensemble calledPanchari Melam , 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.ee also
*
Panchari melam
*Panchavadyam
*Thayambaka ----External links
* [http://melam.gosree.org Melam Collections]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
