Beyond the colourful kavadis and the larger-than-life golden statue of Lord Murugan at Batu Caves, some may say the religious festival of Thaipusam is incomplete without the unique sound of drums ...

The name Man Melam (drum made of clay) itself suggests its ancientness. But it seems to have been stuck in time and has not developed further. The Man Melam troupe of Sibi of Salem district, which ...

Peruvanam Satheesan Marar was in his early twenties when the percussionist found a junior’s slot at what heralds the annual temple festival season in Kerala — the Tripunithura ulsavam. To get placed ...

This excitement spills onto social media, too, where numerous groups celebrate Kerala’s percussion traditions — Panchari melam, Pandi melam, Shinkari melam, Panchavadyam, Thayambaka... The heat in ...

Tripunithura: For over 39 years, percussion maestro Peruvanam Kuttan Marar has celebrated his birthdays with festivities at the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, marking the occasion with a special melam ...