The Music and Musical Instruments of Southern India and the Deccan c11.212

c11.212

The Mridang is beaten by the hands, finger-tips, and wrists in a very peculiar manner, drum playing being a great art among Indian performers; indeed, years of study are required to ensure proficiency. The smaller head of the Mridang is struck by the right hand, the larger head by the left. This drum is considered to be the most primitive of all Indian instruments. Its origin, as described in the purānas, is as follows:—“When Mahadéva, elated by his victory over the invincible demon Tripurásura, began to dance, surrounded by Indra and other deities, Brahma is said to have invented the mridanga to serve as an accompaniment, and under his directions the god Ganésha first performed upon it. From the very import of the word mridanga, it appears that its body was originally made of clay.