Mardala

Overview

The mardala is a barrel-shaped, double-headed drum from the eastern Indian state of Odisha. It is the principal percussion instrument of Odissi classical music and dance, and it is one of the oldest surviving members of the Indian classical drum family. The body is carved from a single piece of wood, with two heads of differing pitch laced together by leather straps.

Origin & History

References to drums of the mardala type appear in classical Odia and Sanskrit treatises across many centuries, and the instrument is depicted in temple sculptures of medieval Odisha. It is closely tied to the temple performance traditions associated with the Jagannath shrine at Puri. While modern Indian audiences often encounter the tabla or mridangam as the standard classical drum, the mardala has its own continuous lineage and a distinct repertoire.

How It’s Played

The player sits cross-legged with the drum laid horizontally across the lap. The two heads are struck with the bare hands; the right (treble) head is tuned to a precise pitch, while the left (bass) head provides a fuller, lower resonance. A paste applied to the right head fixes its pitch and gives the mardala its characteristic ringing tone. Players use a vocabulary of named strokes (bols) to articulate complex rhythmic cycles (tala) that match Odissi dance choreography.

Cultural Significance

The mardala is inseparable from Odissi dance, where the drummer is not simply an accompanist but a co-creator of the performance, cueing transitions and matching the dancer’s footwork stroke for stroke. Its association with the Jagannath temple has also given the instrument a devotional standing in Odia culture, and dedicated gurukul-style teaching lineages still pass down its repertoire today.

Related Instruments

• Mridangam – the South Indian classical barrel drum
• Pakhavaj – the closely related North Indian classical drum
• Tabla – the leading drum of Hindustani classical music
• Khol – a Bengali devotional drum from a related family
• Khanjani – a smaller Odia hand percussion instrument

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the mardala the same as the mridangam?
No. They share a family resemblance but have different shapes, tuning practices, and stroke vocabularies. The mardala is specific to Odissi music.

What music is the mardala used for?
It is the central drum of Odissi classical dance and music, and is also used in temple traditions linked to the Jagannath shrine at Puri.

Is the mardala still actively taught?
Yes. Odissi dance institutions in Odisha and beyond train mardala players as part of their core curriculum.

Image: photograph by Bibhuti Bhusan Champati, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).