CHENDA
Chenda is a cylindrical wooden drum which is two feet in
length and about a foot in diameter.
Both sides of the chenda is covered with
skin. Although the chenda has two faces, only one surface of it is beaten.
The drummer suspends the chenda from his neck such that it hangs more or less
vertically and with two sticks held in both the hands, he strikes the upper
It is an important percussion instrument used in 'Kathakali',
'Koodiyattam'
and related dance forms of Kerala. The same instrument is known as the chende
in certain areas of Karnataka and it is used in 'Yakshagana'
which is a folk dance-drama. The sound produced by the chenda is very loud.
There are many varieties of this drum like uruttu chenda (for playing variations),
the veekku chenda (one which beats the basic rhythm), acchan chenda and so
on.
