'The entire town -- Hindus, Muslims and Christians -- my schoolteachers and the ustads from the madrasa were present to witness my arangettam.'
When wars are being fought in the name of religion...
When shops owned by some people near temples are being demolished..
When minority community members are not allowed to have shops at the temple festival ground...
Sakkeer Hussain played the chenda (external link) at a Hindu temple during the temple festival.
It was his arangettam and the entire Karuvarakundu town had assembled to witness the historic event.
Yes, it happens only in Kerala...
"In our Malappuram district, Hindus, Christians and Muslims live like brothers. We share our meals during Vishu, Onam, Christmas and Perunnal. There was not a single voice of protest against me performing inside the temple. I never thought it would turn out be such a momentous event. Today, people from all over the world are calling and congratulating me," an elated Sakkeer Hussain tells Rediff's Shobha Warrier.
Sakkeer Hussain always wanted to learn new things...
I always had this desire to learn something new.
I do carpentry, gold work, repair clocks and watches. I work as a tailor even while I drive an autorickshaw. I am also a craftsman. I make a lot of items using bamboo.
As I am crazy about vehicles of all sorts, I worked as a JCB operator for some time. Then, I worked as a motor mechanic.
Although I was very passionate about musical instruments, I couldn't learn any instrument properly.
Captivated by chenda melam at temple festivals
Living in a small town like Kuravanakadu, the local temple festival is not celebrated by Hindus alone; it is a festival for everyone.
I have looked at those who played the chenda at the temple festivals in awe. I felt a little disheartened also because I did not get a chance to learn the instrument.
It was by chance that a cultural organisation called Polima brought Kalathingal Vijayakumar Asan (guru) from Nilambur to our town to teach the chenda to children.
I met him and expressed my desire to learn the instrument. At first, he dissuaded me by saying it would be difficult to learn at my age (Sakkeer is 47) as the learning starts at a very early age.
Moreover, chenda melam is associated mainly with temples.
But I was not bothered about where I would be able to play. I just wanted to learn the instrument.
First Muslim person to learn the chenda
When I started learning from Vijayakumar Asan in December 2024, I had no hope that I would be able to be a part of a chenda melam in a temple.
You have to also understand that not a single person from the Muslim community has learnt the chenda till now. I am the first person to do so.
When I was talking to others about my plan to learn to play the chenda, all of them teased me saying, 'see, the chenda is played mainly in temples and even if you learn, nobody will let you perform in temples.'
More than that, it takes 2 to 3 years of practising before you can have an arangettam. And arangettam can be done only in temples.
So, according to many, I was wasting my time.
Everything changed when Appunni Mashu (Master), a retired school headmaster, happened to see me practise the chenda He was bowled over by my dedication and passion.
He felt I should have a proper arangettam at the local Sree Cherumb Muthappan temple during the temple festival.
Appunni Mashu, who was also part of the Polima cultural organisation, spoke to the temple authorities that I was learning the chenda and was interested in playing at the temple for my arangettam.
If I am getting words of appreciation today, I have to thank Appunni Mashu from the bottom of my heart for his tireless efforts.
I have to also thank my Guru, Nilambur Vijayakumar Asan. If not for these two gurus, I would not have achieved anything.
Thankfully, the temple authorities had no disagreements with both my gurus.
No pottu, no chandanam on the forehead
When I told my gurus that I would not have pottu (bindi) and chandanam (sandalwood paste) on my forehead and I also would wear the mundu to the left side like Muslims do, they said they would take it up with the temple authorities.
Unlike in films, I was not enacting a role. I cannot be somebody else. I am Sakkeer Hussain even when I am playing the chenda. That's why I told them these conditions.
I was not sure whether the temple committee would accept me that way.
It is their greatness that they accepted me as I am, as Sakkeer Hussain.
In fact, they appreciated the fact that I showed interest and passion in learning the chenda and performing at a temple.
They were also happy that we were showing the entire world how to accept someone as he is.
But I wanted my arangettam in the traditional way at the temple.
I wanted to be a part of the chenda melam where it is traditionally performed, which is at temples and nowhere else.
Arangettam on the 6th of April at 10:30 am
I had just 4 months to learn the chenda before the arangettam.
Everybody asked me, when children take 2 to 3 years to master the art, how are you, at the age of 47, going to perform in four months?
But my Asan told me I was strong in the swaras and that I would definitely be able to perform after 4 months. It was his confidence in me that gave me the courage.
The 3-day temple festival was scheduled for April, and I had to perform in front of thousands of people.
Asan asked me, will you be ready? Shall we fix the date?
I said, yes.
Once the date was fixed, I could not think of anything else. I stopped doing all work.
My days and even nights were spent perfecting the art.
I must applaud the support my wife and four children gave me. If they had complained, I would not have been able to do this.
Every day, I used to get up very early and go to the temple auditorium to practice with a few others.
As I am an autorickshaw driver, I even practised when I was waiting for a ride even if it was a wait of 10 minutes!
You can say, I utilised every single moment of my life to prepare for the D-day.
In the first month, we used a stone and two sticks made from the tamarind tree for practice. Once we are fast enough, the stone was replaced by the round bark of the tamarind tree, more in the shape of a chenda.
It was only 5 days before the arangettam that I started practising with a real chenda.
As I had no money to buy a chenda, I took it on a rent paying Rs 1,000 for 5 days.
Finally, the day of the arangettam!
April 6 dawned and I got up very tense. I did not sleep well at all. The tension was indescribable.
The panchari melam (external link) is of 30 to 45 minutes duration and I was worried whether I would make any mistake.
In the morning itself, we had a practice in front of Asan, and he was satisfied.
I went home, had a bath and got dressed for the event.
Only after I gave dakshina to Asan and took his blessings did we assemble inside the temple for the panchari melam.
We did a pradakshinam of the nalambalam (the sanctum sanctorum) and stood in front of the deity ready to start.
What we were doing was an offering to the Almighty which is one for all human beings. There is no religion or caste in front of God.
I prayed to him to bless me so that I did not make any mistakes.
I believe that I was blessed by the Almighty. That's why I could master the art in such a short period.
The door to the sanctum sanctorum opened and when the panchari melam started, I thought of it as my offering to God.
Nothing else was in my mind.
I did not see the crowd. I did not hear anything. In my mind, only the sound of the panchari melam resonated...
Not a single soul criticised him
I may be the first Muslim to get to perform the chenda at a temple.
But not a single person, Hindu or Muslim, criticised what I did.
I was given a chance to perform inside the temple even though I am a Muslim.
Just because I performed in a temple, I was not thrown out of the mosque.
That's how we live in our Malappuram district.
We -- Hindus, Muslims and Christians -- live like brothers. We eat from the same plate. We share everything whether it is Vishu or Onam or Christmas or Perunnal. That is the kind of bond we share.
Religion does not separate us; it connects us through love.
The entire town -- Hindus, Muslims and Christians -- my schoolteachers and the ustads from the madrasa were present to witness my arangettam.
Unforgettable arangettam
The panchari melam got over, and I was brought back to life when my guru rushed towards me and hugged me tightly.
It made me so emotional that tears started rolling down my eyes.
Those 45 minutes were the most unforgettable and memorable experience of my life.
Even now, when I narrate those moments, I am choking and getting emotional...
SEE: Sakkeer Hussain performs at the temple
Videos Curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff