Weaving Culture

- Vinod Menon, Board Member, Sri Sri University, Odisha.

‘Chenda Melam’, is a percussion instrumental kind of music. This is limited to temple festivities. In Trichur pooram and all festivities and auspicious celebrations, the ‘Chenda Melam’, renders loud and rhythmic musical notes. This percussion instrument was limited to temple feasts. But in the post fortnight, that went by, was the biggest celebrative event. The Christmas celebration and festivities on the 25th of December. Christmas has been woven into, most distinct cultures in the world. For example, the Christmas cakes and birthday cakes are interspersed into non Christian cultures. The Chenda Melam, accompanied the song “ Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way”. The Chenda Melam artists encouraged and played along the rhythmic notes of “ Oh what fun, it is to ride a one horse open sleigh”. And temple tones and cultures then, supported the lyrics of “ Dashing through the snow, on one horse open sleigh…” A religious event that has successfully woven itself, into the fabric of non-Christian cultures. Religious tenets are interspersed into the food habits. This fusion has allowed all distinct cultures, now to adapt to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, Jerusalem. Many church goers on Christmas days are in traditional Indian attire. And some even with a red spot, the bindhi, in between their eyebrows. Jesus and his apostles did not speak Hindi or any other Indian languages. Percolation of religious content and messages are evident into all civilisations and most cultures. Traditions are vulnerable to be disrupted.