Described as one of the 18 vadyams brought to bhu loka (earth) by Lord Siva, the kudamuzhavu is an ancient drum whose origins are steeped in myth. A pancha mukha (five-faced) vadyam, it is played at the Tiruvarur Tyagaraja temple in a long-standing tradition and housed directly before the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum).
In a programme held under the auspices of the Iyal Isai Museum at the Museum Theatre, L. Narendra Kumar, Bharatanatyam exponent, and disciple of guru Dhananjayan, supported by the students of his natya school, Anusham, presented a production centred on the kudamuzhavu.
At the core was the concept of the birth-death cycle that begins in a pot, namely the garbha (womb) and ends in one, a reference to the ancient practice of the Tamils of burying the dead in giant funerary urns made of clay (mudhu makkal thazhi). The pot thus became the final receptacle of the human body made up of the five elements. Therefore, every beat on the kudamuzhavu may be interpreted as a reminder of the co-existence of life and death.
The introduction took the form of a conversation between two souls, one old (Narendra Kumar) and one young (Bala Tripurasundari). Disregarding the advice of the old soul, who warns about the dangers of re-entering the birth cycle and its manifold consequences, the young soul embarks on the journey of birth. Ash-grey with black accents, the stark monochrome palette of the artistes’ minimalist aharya effectively emphasised the gravitas of the theme.
Human tribulations
The mudras and steps of the alarippu added up to a nutshell summation of the theme, the dancers moving on tharangam plates signifying souls on the verge of rebirth, dispersing in various directions. A Thiruvachagam verse described the tribulations of the human embryo in each of ten months preceding birth. Once born, the human becomes predictably enmeshed in sensory experiences – varnajala, mayajala, yantrajala and rasajala. Symbolised by multi-coloured lengths of cloth interwoven into restrictive knots through group formations, the concept was effectively communicated. Equally vivid was the representation of the soul emerging from these bonds by making a conscious choice to break free of the ensnarement of the senses.
Woven cohesively into the narrative and correlated to the five-faced kudamuzha were other tropes rooted in the number 5 — namely, the pancha bhoota, pancha swara (Mohanam scale), pancha nadai (tisra, chatusra, khanda, mishra, sankirna), pancha sollu (tha, dhi, thom, nam, jham), Siva’s pancha mukha and the five chakras of the body (muladhara, swadistana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi).
Projecting the premise that the way to liberation lies in dwelling on and finally merging with the divine, followed by the representation of Siva’s pancha mukha manifested as Sadyojatham, Isanam, Tatpurusham, Aghoram and Vamadevam, the conclusion made a dramatic impact.
Even as the ideation of incandescent energy was streamed through flaming red and yellow trident-appliqued banners held by the dancers and their slow, swaying advance, the grand finale was the actual playing of the kudamuzhavu by percussionist M.K. Kesavan. His demonstration of pancha nadai was highlighted by the backing track composed and recorded by K.K. Senthil Prasad.
Narendra’s formulation and use of rekhapeetam, an effective technique of aligning the body geometrically, both in movement and postures, along the axis of a wooden plank placed on stage, paid dividends when the dancers achieved a steady symmetry and sculpted silhouettes. In choreography as well as ideation, simplicity held the key to the communication of complex metaphysical concepts.
Music composed and arranged by Carnatic flautist Athul Kumar was in sync with the choreographer’s vision in translating abstractions into melodic forms, his flute adding lyrical touches to the orchestration.
Labour of love
As the original kudamuzhavu at the Tiruvarur Tyagaraja temple cannot be moved elsewhere, Narendra Kumar took the laudable initiative of having a replica made at a cost of ₹3.5 lakhs at his own expense. “Siva is my favourite deity. What better way to seek his grace by dedicating it to him on Sivaratri,” says the artiste.
“This instrument is made from a special alloy called mani vengalam, a combination of three types of bronze, the formula for which is sourced from ancient texts. The original kudamuzhavu and temple bell at Tiruvarur are also fashioned from this unique alloy.
“It was a labour of love for B. Parthiban, a master metal crafter from Nachiar Kovil, who, along with a team of 20 artisans, worked day and night to complete it in 20 days, a job that would normally have taken three months,” adds Narendra.
After an intensive research, the alloy was made from exact ratios of naagam, copper, brass, velleeyam and gun metal. Adding his mite to the revival project is M.K. Kesavan, ace percussionist and well known rhythm composer for leading music directors. Since the parampara of traditional drummers entrusted with playing the vadyam no longer exists, Kesavan had to rely on a rare video imaging the fingering technique in order to recreate the same. The USP is the manner in which the outer edge of the upper joint of the thumb is used in drumming sollus.