The captivating rhythm of Pandimelam

Pandimelam is a temple orchestra popular in Kerala, South India. It is part of many local festivals and is an important highlight of the famous Thrissur Pooram.

Pandimelam is a combination of four instruments, namely, chenda, kuzhal, kombu and ilathalam. Of these, the percussion instrument chenda is in daily use in many temples of Kerala. It is made of softwood with cowhide on both ends.

Kombu is a C-shaped wind instrument and may be made of copper or brass. It is called kombu, which is the Malayalm word for horn, because of its resemblance to a horn. Kuzhal is also a wind instrument while ilathalam is a pair of cymbals.