Idakka: India musical instrument

The idakka is an hour glass-shaped musical drum from Kerala in the southern part of India. The handy percussion musical instrument is very analogous to the pan-Indian damaru. While the damaru is played by the rattling tied cords against the resonators, the musical instrument is played with the use of a stick. Like the damaru, the pitch of the idakka may be bent by clutching the lacing in the middle of the instrument.

source of picture: marar.blog.com

The musical instrument is hanged over the left shoulder of the player and the right side of the musical instrument is beaten with the use of a stick. The left hand of the player is used for the tightening and loosening the tape wound round the middle. Differentiating the tension of the tape manufactures discrepancies in tones. Simple songs extending over an octave can be performed in the musical instrument. The musical instrument is said to be Devavadyam, i.e. a divine musical instrument, and is traditionally played standalone during the puja at the temples or as an accompanying musical instrument to the Sopanam music just outside the sanctum sanctorum, typically by the Ambalavasi community Marar or Poduval. 

Kathakali, the classical dance-drama from Kerala, also provides a slot to performing the musical instrument when a female character holds the stage. In Koodiyattam, the musical instrument provides good support to the mizhavu. The musical instrument is an indispensible accompaniment musical instrument for other dance forms, most especially, the Mohiniyattam and Krishnanattam. The idakka has become an accepted member of many dance troupes outside Kerala. The musical instrument is also found in the modern day traditional concert known as Thayambaka.

The musical instrument is seen as a difficult musical material to play, given that the rolls are manufactured from a single stick and the expert should have good sense of both music and rhythm. There are several institutions in Kerala where the musical instrument is being taught, the most essential among them is Kerala kalamandalam and Kshetra Kalepeetham in Vaikom.

Among the current players of the musical instrument, the most recognized players are Thiruvilvamala Hari, Tripunithura Krishnadas, Chottanikara Subhash Marar, Tichur Mohanan, Chendamangalam Unni, Kakkayoor Appukuttan, Cherpulassery Krishnakumar Poduval, Payyavur Narayana Marar and Thiruvillwamala Jayan and Njeralath Harigovindan.

The idakka is seen as a divine musical instrument, especially when the instrument5 is presented at Sopanam, the holy steps that are leading to the Sanctum sanctorum of a temple, during the puja sessions. The musical instrument is played either solely or accompanied with the Sopanam melodies during the closed-door puja time, thereby leaving much possibility for generating a mood of bhakti around.

The two faces of the musical instrument are said to represent Sooryan, i.e. the sun and Chandran, i.e. the moon. The central stem of the musical instrument forms the shareeram i.e. the body of the musical instrument. The two strings at the edge of the instrument are thought to mold the jeevatma and the paramatma. The six holes on the instrument through which the faces are knotted together stand for six Shastras, i.e. sciences. The four jeevakkols on the musical instrument stand for the four Vedas. The 64 podippu symbolize the 64 Kala. The Tholkachcha refers to Sivanagam, which is the holy snake of Lord Shiva.

The musical instrument is kottu and a geeta vadyam. The instrument acts as in former the cataloging in case of Panchavadyam of idakka Thayambaka, and as in the latter during the Mohiniyattam or fusion term. There are very few musical instruments that are with such unique and diversified application levels in the world.

The origin of the musical instrument’s name is believed to have come from the sound ‘Dakka’. It is well-known and clear to people who have a knowledge of Hinduism that this is the musical instrument that is tied on ther Trishool of Lord Shiva.

According to Patanjali and Pāṇini the essence of the ‘dakka’ lies in the fact that the different consonants and vowels of our languages is stem from this sound musical instrument.

The musical instrument is developed from the ‘thudi’ a musical instrument that is used by the ancient t tribesmen who use to live in the forest and that of the Pootham artisans.

The legendary of poet, Kunchan Nambiar, has mentioned about the musical instrument in his Ghoshayathra. The musical instrument finds position in most literary works that has close associations with the Dravidan culture.

It is believed that once the Lord Shiva and Parvathi stopped their dance, the dakka that is tied to the Trishul of Lord Shiva manufactured 14 various sounds which are Ayi Un, Riluk, E On, Ay Auch, Hayavarat, Lann, Njamangana Namm, Jabhanj, Ghadadhash, Jabagadadhash, Khafakshadadharchtathav, Kafapay, Sshashasar, Hal.

With reference to the assumption, the musical instrument is assumed to have the avbility of manufacturing all the sounds in a language. Like every other musical instrument, the idakka is assumed to have the ability to manufacture every musical tone.

 Hence, it is no wonder that the musical instrument was given a crucial positon in the Trishukl of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva also interpreted to be the lord of the aboriginals. And as such, it is very clear that the musical instrument has a good relationship with the gods.

In the musical gem of Lord Vishnu, there is a mention about three kinds of musical instruments, wg=hich are the Huduka, Dakka and Madhidkkya that are analogous to each other in structure. It is thought and some insight shows that the idakka instrument is fabricated from Mandidakkya.

Once this musical instrument that belonged to Lord Vishnu was stolen by the disciples of Lord Shiva and was also used during the dance performance of Lord Shiva. When Lord Shiva became aware of the theft, he ordered that the instrument should be returned to Lord Vishnu. But when the Bhootaganas came to Lord Vishnu, he rejected the request for forgiveness and cursed them by saying, ‘if you keep this musical instrument on the ground, that place you kept it will be destroyed’. This another variant story about the musical instrument that still has its place among the traditional musical instrumentalists.

Kuttyi, the core of the tree surrendering superior jackfruit or its root, black wood, catechu, the Indian Laburnum, red sandal wood, etc., are the trees that are used for the production of the kuttyi of the musical instrument. The kuttyi is a relatively wide hollow stick that has the length of about 8 to 8 ½ inches and the diameter of 4 to 4 inches. After producing the wood hollow, the extreme or face of the kuttyi will be unknown inches wide. Although both the ends of the kuttyi are of equal width, the centre part of the stick will be relatively thin. Exactly at the centre of the stick, there is a hole that is called air hole. This hole that is 2 mm in diameter is called the navel of the kuttyi. It is thought that even when the end part of the face of kuttyi produced in this manner is brought closer to the ear, we can hear the ‘Om’ after effects. It is via the kuttyi’s navel that the air manufactured because of the pressure while the musical instrument itself is played passes out. Two reeds of Palmyra are knotted on to the small nails on both end and edges of the kuttyi. It is these reeds that manufacture the vibration when the musical instrument is performed. In order to get a grasp on the stick, a cloth is tied around the kuttyi.

Valayangal, two rings each of 1-inch thickness are manufactured from the timber of wood of a mango tree or jackfruit tree. Each of the rings will have a diameter of about 8 to 8 inches. Six holes are put in the rings for tying the strings of the instrument. Once the holes are available, the skin of the instrumenr should be stuck on the rings in such a way that it shields and spreads out of the perimeter of the rings. The skin that is called chavvu is manufactured from the outer wall of the cow’s intestine. The thin layer of skin in cleaned and purified paste manufactured from a special type of boiled rice mixed with ash obtained by burning dried cow dung.  Though the musical instrument is manufactured to have two sides, only one side of the musical instrument can be played. The face of the instrument that can be played is called ‘kuttuvattam’ and the side of the instrument that is not being played is called the ‘mootuvattam’.

Jeevakkolukal, four perfectly rounded sticks that are about 7 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Many kinds of wood is used in the production of thee sticks

Poduppukal, is a bunch of colorful woolen balls that is tied on to the Jeevakkolukal. One bunch will be made up of 16 discrete colorful woolen balls that are tied on to the jeevakkol with the use of cotton thread. Poduppu means decoration.

Tholkacha, thol means ‘shoulder’ and Kacha means ‘cloth’. The peculiarity of some of the traditional musical instrument of the Kerala is that the musical instrumentalists have to stand while playing the musical instruments. As such, these musical instruments have to be carried by the player of the instrument. To make it easier for them to carry the musical instrument, they have a shoulder band that will be tied on the two sides of the musical instrument. This shoulder band is often produced of cloth. 

Idakka kol, the stick that is used for the playing of the musical instrument is almost ¼ the size of the stick used for playing a chenda. The stick is manufactured from the branches of trees like red madder or a tree locally called chapangam. The stick is curved and is analogous to that of an elephant tusk. The end of the stick that is being held by the player is broader than the other end of the stick that is curved and somewhat pointed.

The idakka is the only traditional Kerala musical instrument that allows easy and suitable assembling and dissembling of its components. An assembled musical instrument is normally hung on the wall. In some churches or temples, the instrument is being outside the door of the inner sanctum sanctorum that adds to the beauty of the instrument. The musical instrument commonly used now for decoration in the houses not only by the Keralites, but also by many foreigners.

The core peculiarity in the learning of most of the traditional musical instrument of Kerala just like the chenda and idakka is that the amateurs will not be taught the musical instrument using the specific musical instrument, rather they will have to master the art of playing it by practicing on an analogous shaped object that is produced of wood or stone.

The amateurs of the musical instrument are often given a block of wood known as ‘Kayyatha’ or a block of wood that suits that hand and a stick produced from tamarind tree. They have to stand while practicing on the instrument and they are made to practice various rhythmic poral tunes like the "Thakuku", "Themkuku", "Thathakuku", "Them Them kuku", "Thakida Thakida", "Thathakida" at various speed. The player or the learner of the instrument will have to formulate the rest of the tunes. With a little bit of practice, the person who has mastered the chenda can play the idakka perfectly.