Learn Mridangam with Free Lessons & Tips

Over the years, the mridangam evolved and was made from different kinds of wood for increased durability, and today, its body is constructed from the wood of the jackfruit tree. It is widely believed that the tabla, the mridangam's Hindustani musical counterpart, was first constructed by splitting a mridangam in half.

History of MridangamIt is said that Nandi played the mridangam during Shiva's taandav dance, leading to the instrument being known as Deva Vaadyam, or divine instrument. Another story says the mridangam was created to recreate the sound of Indra as he moved through the heavens on his elephant.

Today the mridangam is most widely used in Carnatic music performances. These performances take place all over Southern India and are now popular all over the world. As the principal rhythmic accompaniment (pakkavadyam), the mridangam has a place of utmost importance, ensuring all of the other artists are keeping their timing in check while providing support to the main artist. One of the highlights of a modern Carnatic music concert is the percussion solo (thani avarthanam), where the mridangam artist and other percussionists such as kanjira, morsing, and ghatam vidwans exchange various complex rhythmic patterns, culminating in a grand finale where the main artist resumes where he or she left off.

The Mridangam is one of the oldest Indian percussion instruments, originating at least 2,000 years ago. The two-headed drum is popular in both Carnatic classical musical from South India and Hindustani classical music from the north. This drum may also be called mrdanga, pakhawaj, or tannumai.