Percussion instruments (Anaddha)

Three kinds of percussion instruments can be noticed in the sculptural art of this period. They are Mrdanga, Ghata and Damaru, which are described below with fine examples.

(i) Drum (Mrdanga)

The mrdanga is one of the most popular percussion instruments of India and the term literally means “made of clay”, which hints that originally its body was baked out of clay and membranes are attached to its opening. Three kinds of drums can be seen in the sculptural art of this period, as distinguished by its size and position, while playing i.e., long drums played vertically, comparatively short drums also played vertically and short drums hung in the neck and played horizontally.

Vertical drums of various sizes can be seen played by the ganas, accompanying Siva in his various dancing poses. Earliest such depiction can be seen on the upper saduram of the southern pilaster at the facade of Avanibhajanapallavesvara griha at Siyamangalam. Here a gana (fig. 46) seated on a low stool to the right of Nataraja can be seen playing on such an instrument. Fine depictions of the same can be seen in the Kailasanatha (fig. 390) and Muktesvara temples (fig. 391) at Kanchipuram. Comparitivey shorter variety can be seen in a panel on the souther cloister wall (upper row) of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram, where the musician along with a flute player and a dancer (fig. 392) is seen giving their performance in the royal court of the Pallavas.

Few varities of drums hung in the neck can be seen in a panel on the northern cloister wall and two more in the panels on the southern cloister walls (fig. 393) of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram^[1]. Apart from these types, a short drum of the type of mardala (fig. 394) can be seen carried by Jambhavan in the Trivikrama panel of the Varaha cave temple at Mamallapuram.

(ii) Damaru

Siva in his various manifestations depicted in the sculptural art of this period at Dharmaraja-ratha at Mamallapuram and also in the structural temples at Kanchipuram (fig. 395) can be seen with a damaru in one of his hands. Indeed the damaru or udukkai came to be so closely associated with Siva that it was considered as one of His symbols.

(iii) Ghata

Two rare instances of a man playing ghata can be noticed in the sculptural art of this period. The southern cloister wall (lower row) of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram displays in one of its panel a dancing performance in a court witnessed by the king and the courtiers. Just seated by the side of the flutist and in front of the dancer can be seen a man playing a globular shaped ghata (fig. 396) . Another rare portrayal is in the mukhamandapa of the Muktesvara temple at Kanchipuram, where a gana is seen playing over a ghata (fig. 397) in the panel portraying Ravana shaking mount Kailasa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

C. Minakshi, op.cit, p. 36.