"THAVIL"

 ‘THAVIL ‘

As is well known, the ‘Thavil’ is a percussion instrument that is the traditional companion of ‘Nadhaswaram’- the Pipe. The two are held sacred by South  Indian tradition and are termed “Mangala vaadhyam”- for, on all auspicious events in Temple or in Weddings the two are essential in musically ‘declaring’ the on-going process. The particular form of playing the instruments indicates the critical step being carried out in temple processions or in Weddings. Their status as choice instruments of preference for auspicious occasions is linked to their ‘high decibel’ output which calls attention of people away from the venue. Both instruments have high frequency tones which travel through air; it serves the intended purpose of calling attention. ‘Nadaswaram’ is more intricate in design; being a wind instrument, it places a high demand for lung power of the player.

Though by definition ‘Thavil’ is an accompanying instrument, it differs from other instruments of the same status. Even before ‘Nadhaswaram’ is played, it is Thavil that opens the play by a typical beat for 30-40 seconds; only later Nadhaswaram –the so-called lead instrument  joins in .Once ‘Nadhaswaram’ steps in , Thavil takes a lower position as an accompaniment. In any case, it is the beat that sustains the tempo of the concert. Depending on the requirement, different teams of instrumentalists- both Nadhaswaram and Thavil come together. They perform in competitive spirit and play elaborate ‘notes’ of a chosen ‘Raga’ variety and enliven the show.

In traditional format, the two Thavil exponents represent different teams for the sake of a concert on a given day. Each brings off his skills in dexterous play of fingers that generate subtle tones that enthrall the knowledgeable in the audience. Sometimes the Thavil exponents join “JUGAL BHANDHI” – a format involving different cultural shades typical of Northern and Southern percussion play traditions. All said and done, South or North, the basic tenet –‘elegance’ determines the supremacy of art. In “JUGAL BHANDHI”, Thavils are pitted against Tabla ; at times ‘Ghatam’ [ mud pot percussion], Kanjira , Tabla and Thavil keep playing in sequence just towing a particular central idea and bring off a range of play skills and each establishes an unconquered mastery. In “JUGAL BHANDHI” all are winners – yes they win over the entire audience by their spirit of adherence to prescribed tradition and the artistes themselves gracefully accept the other mode of expression.

Thavil is a popular instrument in Thanjavur tradition; making of the instrument also appears to be a forte of the Thanjavur craftsman who make such instruments. Thavil is a barrel like instrument scooped out in a single log of wood of Jack tree. The barrel is broader at one end and narrower at the other. The dimensions must be adhered to, if tonal quality has to be ensured. The ends are the actual play heads covered by a well-cured skin of animal origin. Both ends differ in the extent of ‘taut stretch’ so as to make stiff / slightly relaxed vibrations upon playing. Well, right and left side of the instrument are ‘subjective’ since the Thavil exponent may himself be a ‘right hander’ or a ‘left hander’. Rarely a few are ‘Amphidexterous’. Long hours of play of ‘Thavil’ may hurt the fingers; so, the player shields each playing finger by a tight ‘thimble-like’ finger glove made of hardened glue from Maida flour. A mere touch with gloved finger makes ‘high pitch’ sound typical of Thavil. Times were when ‘Thavils’ were beaten like devils. Now, the playing culture has shifted to elegant nudges instead of brutal hits. Experimental combinations of VIOLIN-THAVIL ensemble in 1980s paved the way for soft play of Thavil. As a percussion device, Thavils are employed in music scores for movies too.

Prof. K. Raman