Tempering, tightening and tuning traditional Tamil drums before the ceremony, over a live fire, to get the timber and pitch just right...

Pongal celebrations 2014 at Tamil Nadu House, New Delhi.

Traditional instruments of Tamil Nadu: thavil, pambai, nathaswaram, flat drums

The Thavil or Tavil is a barrel shaped drum from South India. It is used in temple, folk and Carnatic music, often accompanying the nadaswaram. The thavil and the nadaswaram are essential components of traditional festivals and ceremonies in South India.

The nadaswaram, nagaswaram, nadhaswaram or nathaswaram, is one of the most popular classical musical instruments in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Kerala and the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instrument.[1] It is a wind instrument similar to the North Indian shehnai but much longer, with a hardwood body and a large flaring bell made of wood or metal.

The pambai or pamba is a pair of cylindrical drums used in temple festivals and folk music in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, India.

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