Introduction And Creation Of Idakka Musical Instrument In English

Introduction And Creation Of Idakka Musical Instrument

Introduction –

• Idakka, also called edakka, is an hourglass-shaped drum from Kerala in South India.
• This simple percussion instrument is similar to the All India Damru. While the damru is played by rattling knotted strings against resonators, the idakka is played with a stick.
• Like the damru, the pitch of the idakka can be bent by squeezing the laces in the middle.
• The idakka is slung over the left shoulder and the right side of the instrument is struck gently with a stick with a thin curved end.
• It is played in temples and in classical dance performances like Kathakali and Mohiniyattam.

Etymology-

• The Malayalam name Idayakka or Idakka is derived from the Sanskrit word In Sanskrit, a dukkah is described as a double drum that makes the duk sound. The sacred prefix Shri is used to denote the auspiciousness of the Kayatiti Yantra precisely in the word so serious.

Construction –

• Similar to the talking drum, the Idakka consists of two circular drum heads, each encased within a circular ring.
• The hourglass body is placed between the two ends and the lacing is used to pull the two rings towards each other, each drum head being stretched over the open end of the body.
• Beneath each drum head, net-like strings made of natural fibers stretch across the open ends of the drum body.
• It is not uncommon for drum heads to have a larger diameter than the diameter of the body, with the result that drum heads are often placed far off center.

Idakka’s Questions Answered –