When thavil met magudam and thappu on the Marina

On Sunday (March 1, 2026), the sands of the Marina Beach reverberated with the resonant strains of the thavil — a classical percussion instrumentality — alongside the earthy rhythms of the magudam and mantham, people instruments traditionally accompanying Kaniyaan Koothu, and the vibrant beats of thappu melam.

The unsocial ensemble was organised by the Tamil Nadu government’s Department of Art and Culture to commemorate UNESCO’s declaration of Chennai arsenic a City of Music. Two-day philharmonic events were held astatine Valluvar Kottam and the Marina.