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The
maddalam is one of India's many types of drums. It is of two kinds - shuddha
maddalam and toppi maddalam. Cylindrical in shape and played horizontally,
the maddalam is generally larger than the mridangam. The shuddha maddalam
is played in ritual music in temples, while the toppi maddalam is an indispensable
part of the orchestra for a Kathakali or Mohiniattom performance. The instrument
is also used in ritual forms such as Krishnattam and Thullal.
('For rituals and art' by Anjana Rajan, The Hindu, Jan 18, 2008) |
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The
Orissa State Museum, set up in 1932 by two historians, Prof. N.C. Banerjee
and Prof. Ghanashyam Dash of Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, has over 37,000
titles with manuscripts in palm-leaf, bamboo-leaf, hand-made paper, ivory,
birch bark and kumbhi bark. It has rare garland-shaped, fan-shaped, fish-shaped,
sword-shaped, rat and parrot-shaped varieties of manuscripts which wowed
the world at the first-ever exhibition of Indian manuscripts held in 2006
in Frankfurt as part of the Frankfurt Book Fair. The Chikitsamanjari, describing
the preparation and use of Ayurvedic medicine for both humans and cattle,
is a rare possession of the Orissa State Museum. Its masterpiece remains
Gitagovinda of Jayadeva, one of the most popular and enduring texts inspiring
an astounding range of artistic endeavour.
('Treasure trove of traditions' by Sudha Gopalakrishnan, The Hindu Magazine, Jan 6, 2008) |
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An early form of dramatic dance was inspired by the Shiva cult. Sive Leela Natyams describing the 10 activities of Lord Shiva in poetic form were danced at temple festivals. There was a stone slab between the image of the Nandi bull and the temple entrance for staging such dances. Vishnu Leela Natyams depicting the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu were danced at Vishnu temples. (Dance Drama-Andhra & Tamilnad, Dance Dialects of India by Ragini Devi, p66) |
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