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Mridangam

Also: Mrdangam

Confidence: high Last verified:

The main rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic ensemble.

About

A double-headed barrel drum of South India with a jackfruit-wood body and two skin heads of different sizes: the larger gives bass tones, the smaller a higher, metallic sound, helped by a permanent black paste. Leather lacing is adjusted to match the concert's tonal centre (Sa). It keeps the tala, follows the song and leads the percussion solo (tani avartanam).

References for this page

Type at least two letters. Try a raga name, a tala, or a word like "gamaka".