Chenda
The Chenda (Malayalam: ചെണ്ട, [tʃeɳʈa]) is a cylindrical percussion instrument from the state of Kerala and commonly used in Tulu Nadu, a region in Karnataka, India. In Tulu Nadu, it is called “chende.” The instrument is closely connected to the cultural traditions of both Kerala and Tulu Nadu. Historically, it has been used by the Malayar people in Kerala.
Thavil
The thavil (Tamil: தவில்) or tavil is a cylindrical percussion instrument from Tamil Nadu. It is also used in many South Indian states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana, as well as in parts of Sri Lanka where many Tamil people live, known as Tamil Eelam. The thavil is played in temple music, folk music, and Carnatic music.
Kanjira
The kanjira, also called khanjira, khanjiri, or ganjira, is a South Indian frame drum that belongs to the tambourine family. It has been used in folk and bhajan music in the Indian subcontinent for many years. The introduction of the kanjira into South Indian Carnatic music and the creation of its modern form are credited to Manpoondia Pillai.
Udukai
The udukku, udukai, or udukkai (Tamil: உடுக்கை) is a type of drum from the family of membranophone percussion instruments found in India and Nepal. These drums are used in traditional music and religious prayers in Tamil Nadu. The drums have an ancient design similar to the northern damaru and southern idakka.
Damaru
A damaru (Sanskrit: डमरु, IAST: ḍamaru; Tibetan: ཌ་མ་རུ་ or རྔ་ཆུང) is a small two-headed drum used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. In Hinduism, the damaru is the instrument of the Hindu deity Shiva and is associated with Tantric traditions. It is believed that Shiva created the damaru to produce spiritual sounds that helped create and control the universe.
Dholak
The dholak is a traditional drum and percussion instrument from South Asia. It is typically between 16 to 24 inches long. It is used in many musical styles, including qawwali, kirtan, bhajan, bhangra, chutney, baithak gana, Hindi film music, lokgeet, and classical forms like Hindustani, Carnatic, and Trinidadian/Guyanese taan.
Dhol
The dhol (Hindi pronunciation: [ɖʰoːl]) is a type of double-headed drum that is used in many regions across the Indian subcontinent. It is mainly found in northern areas such as Jammu, Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Kashmir, Sindh, Assam Valley, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Konkan, Goa, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. A related instrument is the dholak or dholki.
Pakhavaj
The pakhavaj is a cylindrical, two-headed drum that comes from the Indian subcontinent, the kendang of Maritime Southeast Asia, and other South Asian double-headed drums. Earlier versions of the instrument were made using clay. It is the most common percussion instrument used in the dhrupad style of Indian classical music.
Khol
The khol is a terracotta drum with two sides used in northern and eastern India to support devotional music called bhakti. It is also known as a mridanga (from Sanskrit words meaning “clay limb”), and it should not be confused with a similar instrument called mridangam. The khol comes from the Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Manipur.
Mridangam
The mridangam is a traditional percussion instrument from the Indian subcontinent. It comes from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is commonly used in south Indian classical music, known as Carnatic music, especially in performances called sangeetha kacherees. It serves as the main rhythm instrument in a Carnatic music group.