This school in Kerala teaches Panchavadyam, an ancient temple art

The rhythmic boom of drums echoes as one approaches Sopanam School of Panchavadyam in Edappal, Kerala. The clash of bronze cymbals pick up the beat and carry it to the resonating deep bellow of a long metallic horn. Panchavadyam, a temple art that finds its origin in ancient Kerala, makes use of four rhythm instruments – the hour-glass shaped timila drums, the heavy maddalam drum made from the wood of jackfruit trees, the bronze cymbal-like ilathalam and the damru-like idakka – along with a single wind instrument – komby, a long metallic horn. Sopanam school was formed with the intention of spreading this musical form that was once played exclusively in the temples of Kerala among today's youth.

The school, started by Santosh Alamkode in 2010 with just 15 students, has now got a 400-strong graduating class at its Edappal centre, and another 400 spread across 21 additional training centres in schools and temples across the state that come under its purview.

"The main thing is that people from different classes, gender, and age started learning it, simply based on their talent," says Prakash Manhapra, one of the teachers at the school. "The advocacy for the art form has also encouraged many temples to revive it."

While all students are welcome to pick up as many of the art forms as they can, it is not compulsory to learn more than one instrument at a time. "But some instruments like elathalam can be picked up while learning timila, madhalam or idakka," adds Manhapra. Along with practical classes on how to actually play the Panchavadyam instruments, as well as some other temple instruments, a variety of theory classes revive the history of these instruments. Vocal narrations and rhythms are also a part of the curriculum.

Several cultural functions have been organised by the teachers and students of the school. However, the crowning glory is probably the Limca Book record that they won in 2011, when 101 students of the school joined hands with 100 Panchavadyam artists to play continuously for two and a half hours. In 2015, they once again made it to the record book for the most thayambaka drummers to perform at one programme (264). "Another landmark was the six-day festival Vadyolsavam in 2017, featuring 35 musical performances, majority of them using traditional instruments," recalls Manhapra.

To Alamkode himself, however, the true turning point came, in 2016, when the school opened its door to women, thereby breaking all stereotypes associated with a Panchayadyam that was heretofore restricted to the Brahmin class, temple compounds and grand celebrations. Indeed, as we leave behind the clash of drums and cymbals, the one impression that stays with us is that of music that goes beyond borders and prejudices to reach its devotees.