Pandi Melam
Encyclopedia
Pandi melam is a classical percussion concert or melam (ensemble) led by the ethnic Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 instrument called the chenda
Chenda
The Chenda is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as Chande....

 and accompanied by ilathalam (cymbals), kuzhal
Kuzhal
The kuzhal is a traditional double reed wind instrument used in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is similar in construction to a nagaswaram or a large shehnai, and has a very shrill and penetrating tone....

 and Kombu
Kombu, Kerala
Kombu is a wind instrument usually played along with Panchavadyam, Pandi Melam, Panchari melam etc. This musical instrument is usually seen in Kerala state of south India. The instrument is like a long horn ....

.

A full-length Pandi, a melam based on a thaalam (taal
Taal
Taal is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for language and was used as an early name for Afrikaans; it may also refer to the South African creole language Tsotsitaal.The word Taal can also refer to:*Tala...

) 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
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...

. 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
Panchari Melam is a percussion ensemble, canonically lasting more than four hours, performed during temple festivals in Kerala, India. Panchari Melam , is one of the major forms of chenda melam , and is the best-known and most popular kshetram vadyam genre...

, 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.
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