KOCHI: In the tribal hamlets of Attappadi in Palakkad district, kokkal, an indigenous wind instrument which is sounded to mark death rituals, harvest ceremonies and community dances, is at risk of disappearing.
However, thanks to a band of schoolchildren, a special project has taken wings under the aegis of Kudumbashree to preserve this wooden wind instrument, called locally also as Kogal.
“Kokkal is unique to Attappadi. It is integral to Kummi performances of the Irula, Muduga and Kurumba tribes, and is played during rituals such as Kambalam, to mark the sowing of the field, as well as during last rites,” said Jomon K J, the project’s coordinator.
The plan to protect the instrument originated from a summer camp that the Kudumbashree had organised for children last year, as they do every year.
“Children were encouraged to find solutions to the problems in their communities. Collectively, they zeroed in on the fact that several tribal customs were perishing, and expressed interest in helping reverse that decline. Kokkal came into the picture shortly after,” Jomon said.
Indeed, the knowledge of making this indigenous instrument is fading. Rapidly.
“Now, only about eight or nine people in Attappadi know how to make it. Most of them are elderly. If it is not passed on, it will surely disappear,” he highlighted.
So, the band of children, with able help from Kudumbashree, identified the remaining instrument makers across villages. Around ten children were actively involved in the documentation of the craft. “They interviewed artisans, recorded measurements, and observed the full process of making the instrument,” Jomon said.
The kokkal is carved from raw wood. The maker shapes the body manually, drills four or five finger holes at measured intervals (often spaced by the width of fingers) and fashions an air chamber.
“The sound it produces is a distinctive, high-pitched tone. Maybe similar to the magudi,” he said.
While the sound may seem similar, playing it is anything but. “It requires complex breath control and practice over several months. As part of our project’s next phase, many children have begun learning the instrument as well. This, we believe, will greatly amplify the preservation effort,” Jomon pointed out.
TNIE spoke to some of these students — Ashwin A, Ashini V, Anumithra M. As to the project’s relevance, they said, “In our communities, there were several distinct customs and performances, such as Harishchandra koothu. But they are now staged only occasionally. Several more remain in the shadows, like this kokkal instrument. We wanted to bring them to the fore, get it its deserved attention.”
This summer, the project aims to train about 60 children in playing the kokkal and other traditional instruments used in tribal troupes.