Kerala's Chenda Melam Ensemble to Captivate Pune's Ganesh Festival

In the upcoming Ganesh festival in Pune, the thunderous and intricate rhythms of chenda melam, a traditional percussion ensemble from Kerala, will captivate the celebrations. The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Trust, which is organizing the 133rd edition of the festival, has created a replica of the Padmanabhaswamy temple to host this unique musical performance.

Chenda melam, considered the heartbeat of temple festivals in Kerala, consists of dozens of chenda (a cylindrical drum), along with elathalam (cymbals), kombu (a double-reeded horn), and kuzhal (a double-reeded wind instrument). A team of 15-25 musicians will perform the ensemble every morning from August 29 to September 6, while a larger group of 60 musicians will be involved in the immersion procession on the final day.

Suresh Nair, who leads the Nadabramha Kalavedi team, explains that they have been practicing this traditional art form for 2.5 to 3 years under the guidance of their gurus. While the group regularly performs at Kerala temple festivals and Ayyappa temples in Pune, this will be the first time the entire 60-member ensemble will be showcased during the Ganesh celebrations in the city.

Mahesh Suryavanshi, the treasurer of the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust, emphasizes that the inclusion of chenda melam is to make people aware of the traditional musical instruments of Kerala, as the trust has created a replica of the Thiruvananthapuram's Padmanabhaswamy temple this year.