Girls show prowess with Chenda

NEDUMANGAD: Girls are synonymous with  performances in dance or music. However, going against the general trend, three girl students of Pothencode LVHS have ventured into a male-dominated area by taking ‘chenda kol’ in their hands. The ‘kol-wielding’ girls teamed with four other boys to contest in the chendamelam event at the revenue district school youth festival here. Their performance won appreciatiation from the audience.  Anju A L,  Athira S and Dayana V S who hail from Nethajipuram near Pothencode ventured into the art form after   understanding the difficulties associated with it. Anju and Athira perform on chenda  while Dayana plays Ilathalam. The chenda which weighs more than 8 kg takes a heavy toll on the drummer. ‘’It is a treat to watch but certainly not so to play. The hands gets tired and I felt like quitting during earlier days. But after practising under Sreenarayanapuram Viswambaran master, I had become used to it,’’ Anju said. Anju has a close bond with chenda as her father Anil Kumar is also a seasoned drummer. Anju accompanies her father to perform in temples and festivals. All the girls had to tide over protests from their families to stick with their passion. ‘’All was not well when I went to perform ‘melam’. There were mild protests from some of the relatives who viewed my act as something of a disgrace to the family. But now the air is cleared,’’ said Athira.Arya V S, a teacher who accompanied the students, said that the efforts put in by the girls have started yielding results as more girl students are now interested in playing chenda.‘’To watch the girls perfor is quite soothing to the eyes. At times I too feel of wielding the drumstick. The art form is  powerful and overwhelming and participation of girls in the field would make it more adorable,’’ she said. The girls are in no mood to quit the field after their schooldays, and were unanimous that they want to continue in the field.‘’I want to devote a couple of years for studying the art. Then I will make this my profession and train more girls,’’’ Anju said, making clear the intentions of her and her companions.