. '/ / 1981 .CENSUS OF lNDIA • Part·XD Series - 20 0 . TAMILNADU . I i I I , " I I I '. HAND'I"RAFT . , \ \. " \ ~URYEY I .J RE1PORT: . I MUSICAL I STRUMENTS ! I tRqort by .: fJ·SUKUMAlt N;ANDAGOPAL IEdited by: ANSfR AHAMfD I ! \ srpe(ViSed by: M.THANGARAJU 315.482 , 1981 . HSR DIRECTORATE OF CENSUS OPERATIONS . TAMIL NdDft\ FORE'\tVORD The Indian handicrafts are known the world over for their rich variety. grace, elegance and skilled craftsmanship. Nevertheless, a number of handicrafts because of their st:ff competition with fac­ tory made products, non-availahility of raw materials. cxhorbitant increase in the manufacturing cost. IRck of proper marketing facili­ ties for finished products or due to a variety of other reasons have either become extinct or have reached the n:0ribund staQ:e. After independence, however, a numher of schemes were introJucecl by different governll1ent agencies for their growth and de\'e1opment but still this sudden impetus have heiped only a few crafts to flou­ rish and thereby become ~~pinners of foreign exchange [,->, the coun­ try. Despite the unique position being enjoyed by the handicrafts. especially in the rea1m of national economy. the general awareness among the people in the country about our crafts and craftsmen had been deplorably PO('f. Nothing was practically known about the commodities pf0duced. techniques employed for the lT1alll;f'~!cture of different objects, raw materials used. their availability, methods adopted for the sale of finished proclucts etc. An attempt was there­ fore made in connection with the ] 961 Census to study about 150 crafts from different parts of the country with a view to provide basic informdtion on those crafts ')vhich were selected for the study. At the 1971 Census, the study on handicrafts was not taken up but t]lis was again revived in connection with the 1981 Census. There has been, however, some difference behveen the studies taken up in connection with the Censuses of 1961 and 1981. While the 1961 studies have covered both rural and urban crafts, the 1981 studies have focussed their attention only on traditional rural based crafts. That aparL the 1981 studie..:; besides touching upon those as­ pects which were covered under the 19(,1 series. have laid emphasis on matters that are vital for the revival of rural crafts and thereby for the rejuvenation of the economy of the region. particularly the villages. This i£ in consonance with the policy of the government to give due importance to the rural sector with focus on employment intensive strategy of development jn which next to agriculture, the small scale industries and handicrafts playa significant role. The formats required for undertaking the study were formu­ Jated by Dr. K. P. Ittaman under the able guidance of Dr. N.G. Nag. the then Deputy Registrar GeneraL Social Studies Division. Dr. Ittaman who succeeded Dr. Nag as Deputy Registrar General, So­ cial Studies Division co-ordinated the study undertaken in different States / t_; nion Territories by the Directorates of Census Operations. The reports received from the Directorates were examined by Shri M. K. J:lin. Senior Research 01Ilc.;~· \vith the help of SrtH, SumJn PI'ash,lL Assi~tant Director c'~' CcJ1:-lIS Operations and Shri ~;udesh Mad(i,]1. Tnvesti!2ator. ! dm g:rd:t:~·~tl to all of them for organising this studv. ,_ ~ ~ . (i) 1-17 RGI/NDjS8 (ii) The present report is the outcome of a study undertaken on Musical Instruments by the DireGtorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu. I have immense pleasure in acknowledging the ser­ vices rendered bv Shri M. Thangaraiu, Deputy Director and his colleagues in rhe Census Directorate -for bringing out this publi­ cation. New Delhi, V. S. VERMA the 1st June. ] 988. !?egisl.'l'ar General India PREFACE Crafts study is one of the inter-censaI projects of ]981 Census. til Tam.il Nadu. IV1usiC:.ll hstrul;'::_:nts hclVe b~:cn :;;clec::ted for this pro­ ject. Music ]s inter,-twined with Imrmmity. The mun from time immemorial lived with music in some form or other. As the music is varied in intonation and iteration, the instruments required for -:uch music are also several in kind. The making of such instru­ ments is a fine craft by itself. By studying the various types of musical instruments, one can understand the depth of development that the art attained. Tamil Nadu, which has all along been the domain of Carnatic music, developed its own types of musical instru­ ments. The making of musicai instruments depended mostly on the \-~lr)eties of music f;)r \vhich tf1c Rajahs, Maharajahs gave en­ couragement in their courts and later on the preferences that people had ;n general. 1\1m;ic is the only thing that can stand the test of time. Though as many as 12 musical instruments are manufactured, only some are studied for want of adequate information. The instru­ ments studied such as Veena, Nadaswaram, Mridangam, etc. are in use, from very ancient period and the people who involved in making them arc dcing so from generation to generation. This study not only gives an accOLmt of musical instruments but also and more imDortantly the socio-economic and cultural aspects of the craftsmen making rather creating these wonderful pieces which please YOll, me and everyone in the UEtVerse. This publication is the result of team work and collective responsibility. S l Shri N. Sukumar Nandagopal and T. S. Rajaram. Investigators and Shri Anser Ahmed, Asst. Director assisted me in finalising the report. Shri A. V. Raman, Investigator, S/Shri M.R.V. Krishna Rao and S. Raghavan, Statistical Assistants attended to the field work and tabulation of data lmder the supervision of Shri M. Nagappan, Deputy Director. Shri E. S. Jayamohan, Artist prepared the sketches and cover design. I acknowledge the able services of all. The Registrar General, India, Shri V. S. Verma has in his fore­ ",',lord elaborately dealt with the objectives of the study of rural bas­ ed traditional crafts and also indicated as to how from Census to Census, these crafts are studied. I am deeply grateful to Shri V. S. Verma for his timely guidance and advice in bringing out this publi­ cation. (iii) (iv) 1 thank Dr. lttaman. Deputy Registrar General, India, Social Studies Division for having extended all possible help in completing this study. I also thank Shri M. K. Jain, Senior Research Officer and Smt. Suman Prashar, Assistant Director of Census Operations who have gone through this report and offered 'i7aluable suggestions. Madras, M. THANGARAJU, December. 191)~. i)C'pliry Director of Census Operations. CONTENTS Pages Chapter [ ~-History of origin and developmenl or the craft . 1-5 Chapter 11 ---Craftsmen in their rural setting 7-16 Chapter III --~Proccss of learning 17-20 Chapter IV --Manufacturing processes 21--29 Chapter V ~-;\1a(k"l;ngi 31--34 Chapter VI -Craft and employment 35---3S Chapter Vi[ --Conclu,ioll 39 APPENDiX 40 ILLUSTRATIONS Facil1g Pagt N". PHOTOGRAPHS 1. Premises of the Thanjavur Musieallnstruments Workers' Co-operative Society 2. Secretary and other employees of the Co operative Society 3. Musical Instruments arc on display in tl'e show case of the Co-operative Society 4. Musical Instruments are stored in the godown of the Co-operative Society for onward transmissi'Jn to various sales emporia throughout the country and abroad 5. A master craftsman engaged in the making of Veena 6. Another craftsman at work in the manufacture of Veena in his own workshop 7. The Portable Veena 8. Shri P. Mahalingam, inventor of the portable Veena tuning the ii!.strument 9. A master craftsman attaching the parts of Nadaswaram in perfect alignment I I 10. Craftsmen at work in the making of Nadaswaram . I ~ 20 11. An engraving machine used for making the shells of percussion instruments I 12. A master craftsman is shaping the outer circumference of the block of wood inserted in the engraving machine J 13. Parts of Veen<1 21 14. The Kudam of Veena is being hollowed out of a single piece of Jack Wood J 15. Carving the Yali Diukha of Veena 23 16. The Bridai is being fixed to the stem of the Veena J 17. Achamaram is being cut to size for making the conical bore of the Naaaswaram -1 I 18. External trimming of the Conical bore I 19. Pieces of seasoned achamaram for making the hollow pipe of the Nadaswaram ~ I 26 20. External trimming of the hollow pipe I 21. Tools used in the making of Nadaswaram J 22. A master craftsman is giving finishing touch (0 the barrel shaped resonator of the Mridangam 23. Shells of the percussion instruments J 27 (v) (vi) SKETCHES facing Page No. 1. Veena '\ : 22 2. Parts of VeeAa j 3. Tambura 4. Parts of Tambura 5. Nadaswaram 24 6. Mridangam 28 FOREWORD The Indian handicrafts are known the world over for their rich variety, grace, elegance and skilled craftsmanship. Nevertheless, a number of handicrafts because of their stiff competition with fac­ tory made products, non-availability of raw materials, exhorbitant increase in the manufacturing cost, lack of proper marketing facili­ ties for finished products or due to a variety of other reasons have· either become extinct or have reached the moribund stage. After independence, however, a number of schemes were introduced by different government agencies for their growth and development but still this sudden impetus have helped only a few crafts to flou­ rish and thereby become spinners of foreign exchange hr the coun­ try. Despite the unique position being enjoyed by the handicrafts, especially in the realm of national economy, the general awareness among the people in the country about our crafts and craftsm~n had been deplorably poor.