THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There are only two original ‘Chandravalayam’ instruments left, according to N Ajithkumar, who retired as the Principal of NSS College, Nenmara. One is on display at an exhibition he has put together at Museum auditorium here, as part of Tourism Department’s Onam Week celebrations.
‘Chandravalayam’ may not ring a bill, nor do most other instruments at the exhibition. For, the art forms, in which these were used, are no longer part of popular culture. It was half a century ago that ‘Chandravalayam Kottum Pattum’ used to be performed inside Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple.
There is ‘Thappu’ used in ‘Padeni’, which, according to Ajithkumar, does not have more than 25 original pieces left.
“No one any longer knows how to make it,” he says. It is fashioned out of a jackfruit.
Inaugurating the exhibition, Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar said that the exhibition helps understand how modern instruments have evolved from the ancient instruments. A book written by Ajithkumar titled ‘Kalinatakam: Paadangalum Padanangalum’ was also released on the day by Mayor K Chandrika.
She said that it was important for today’s generation to understand the music and culture of olden times. The exhibition has included traditional instruments of Kerala, mostly used in folk art. But there is also ‘Jayakanta’, an instrument used by the Konkani community.
“In Kasargod there is a Konkani community. So it is very much a Keralite instrument,” says Ajithkumar.
Ajithkumar says that his quest for folk materials would take him to many an attic, in various parts of Kerala. Once, gathering dust in a house, was a curious instrument broken in three parts.
“I took it to repair, not knowing what it should look like,” he says. He believes it is a cross of a veena and violin, styled during the period when western music was exerting its influence on the Indian classicals. The piece is on display at the auditorium, looking glazed. “I could not stop the guy who repaired it from painting it. I was very sad that it has lost all its old world charm,” he said.
Joseph Fernandez, who was in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2002 for holding the largest collection of music instruments, looked at ‘Thoppi Maddalam’.
“That’s a rare one,” he said. The exhibition is on till the end of the month.