5 months ago
2
Thrissur, for astir people, means the onshore of Poorams. While frenzied beats and notes marque up the heartbeat of the metropolis during Pooram, 1 would people expect a immense turnout erstwhile percussion ensembles specified arsenic chenda elam instrumentality centre stage. But connected Thursday (January 15, 2026) morning, erstwhile frenetic beats hung heavy successful the aerial arsenic students enthusiastically played the notes of ‘Panchari melam’ and the analyzable rhythmic structures of ‘Adantha melam’, the turnout wasn’t that large astatine the Holy Family CGHSS, for the Chenda Melam (HSS) competition.
K.V. Manoj, main of Government Higher Secondary School, Vaduvanchal, says his squad that came from Wayanad had precocious expectations. “Especially since percussion creation is celebrated here,” helium said. “We expected much radical to travel and promote the young performers. If the lawsuit was held astatine the main venue, possibly much radical would person travel retired to watch.”
M.I. Haseena, a teacher who arrived each the mode from Palakkad with her household to conscionable be the festival, had a antithetic take. “While we are excited to ticker these percussion performances, the radical of Thrissur whitethorn opt for thing else, the sheer crushed being familiarity,” she said. “They are utilized to the creation form, truthful they mightiness take to ticker different arts.”
The debased turnout, however, could not quieten the consciousness of excitement, arsenic the rhythmic beats infused into the crowd. There was a three-year-old Manav Krishna, who recovered 2 twig sticks and enthusiastically started tapping successful the air, trying to coordinate with the beats onstage.
In the backstage, his member S. Kailas was getting acceptable with his squad to perform. As the notes onstage reached a crescendo, the rival squad members backstage besides swayed, immoderate mildly tapping connected their chenda, coordinating with the notes onstage.
Such is the powerfulness of the percussion, everyone started beating with 1 pulsating rhythm. Stay determination for 20 minutes, fto the notes soak you in, you could go a chenda melam convert.
Seventeen- year-old twins K.V. Anjitha and K.V. Anjana from GHSS Vaduvanchal, Wayanad echo successful unison that they person ever wanted to play the Chenda. “You don’t spot a batch of women playing the instrument,” said Anjana who played the chenda on with her schoolhouse squad astatine the fest. I person ever wanted to larn this. It is exhilarating.”
While the notes of Panchari melam and Pandi melam pulsed through, immoderate students adjacent attempted the risky and hard melams specified arsenic Adantha melam.
Sreehari Vinod of St. Joseph’s BHSS, Kozhikode, said that they started grooming from June. “We request to get the coordination and bushed right,” helium said. “So it takes a batch of practice. And we were attempting the overmuch hard Adantha melam. We wanted to enactment wide of the accustomed melam and effort thing different.”
The humble assemblage was entertained by the spirited show connected a signifier that produced plentifulness of palpable energy. And each subordinate
