Sree Shylam Enterprises

Thrissur, Kerala

Theyyam

fiber made Kerala type elephant head with fine textures.

Price will be depends on length, starts from 10" To 4 feet (from top to end)

heChanda(Malayalam:, [tea]) is a cylindricalpercussioninstrument originating in the state ofKeralaand widely used inTulu NaduofKarnatakaandTamil Naduin India. In Tulu Nadu (Coastal Karnataka), it is known aschende. It is greatly identified as a cultural element in Kerala and Tulu Nadu.

This instrument is famous for its loud and rigid sound. A Chenda has two sides, the left side called "Edamthala" ( )(Left Head) and the right side "Valamthala" ( )(Right Head). The "Edamthala" is made of only one/two layer of and the "Valamthala" will have a five/seven layer skin, so as to have abasssound. The skin are dried in the shade and fastened on wooden rings (Chenda Vattam, ) made of the trunk of a locally availablepalm tree(Eeranpana) or bamboo, using a gum prepared from the seed of a tree called "pananchi maram". The circular frame is kept in a vessel, boiled for an entire day and then bent in the form of circle and dried. The body of the Chenda which is 1ft in diameter and 1.5 inches thickness is made of the soft wood of thejackfruit tree( ) (Varikka Plavu). The thickness is again reduced by 0.25 inches, at simultaneous points separated by 4 inches. This is done in order to produce highly resonating sound. Only the wooden rings with the skin (Chenda Vattam) is replaced once the quality of the sound is not up to the mark. For regular Chenda artists an average of 15 rings are required every year.

TIn Kerala the craft of making Chenda is now associated with some few "Perumkollan" (smith) families atPeruvembu, Nemmara, Lakkidi, VellarkadandValappayavillages. Many famous Chenda percussionists in Kerala make their Chendas fromVellarkadvillage for it is famous for the quality of the instrument.