KOCHI: Sound the drum roll for Pazhayarikkandam Government High School! The thayambaka is not everyone’s cup of tea. Yet, in a first-of-its-kind initiative, the school from the quaint village in Idukki district has formed a 35-member ensemble for the traditional percussion performance. And to top it all off, it comprises students from class I to VII.
In a short span of time, the Kaladeepam Chenda Melam troupe, which held its arangettam recently, has grown in popularity and is even getting invites to temples and church festivals.
“It all began in January 2023,” says Jayan A J, PTA president. “Our children were becoming addicted to mobiles. Even after schools reopened and screen time dropped, the situation only worsened during the summer holidays,” he recounts.
The realisation that something needed to be done urgently forced Jayan to act. He placed a proposal before the PTA that envisaged creating a thayambaka troupe in the school.
“We received a good response,” he adds. There are thayambaka groups of four or five in many schools, he says. “But they train to perform in youth festivals,” he adds.
The troupe took shape with 50 students coming together. “However, the sessions began to take a toll on students. Around 14 students dropped out, not being able to cope with injuries like peeled skin and swollen fingers,” he adds.
Haripriya Sivadas, a class VII student and one of the seven girls in the troupe, says, “It was tough. The skin on our fingers split and peeled. The sticks used to get covered in blood, which caused them to slip away. But we were hooked and wanted to complete the process. Our hard work and persistence paid off. Each one of us is happy to see ourselves on TV and reels,” she adds.
The troupe has 28 boys and seven girls. Another feat that these youngsters achieved was that they gained the right to have an arangettam within a year of learning the art.