The mridangam's name means 'clay body', after the drum's earliest versions

world cultures & travelWikipedia

The mridangam's name means 'clay body', after the drum's earliest versions

the gist

The mridangam is a two-headed barrel drum that is the main rhythmic accompaniment in Carnatic music from South India. Its name combines Sanskrit words for clay (mrid) and limb or body (anga), because the earliest versions were made of hardened clay. Today it is carved from a single piece of wood, commonly jackfruit, with a different skin on each end and a black paste of iron-rich material on the right-hand head that gives its distinctive tone. In a percussion ensemble it is joined by the ghatam, a clay pot, the kanjira, a small frame drum, and the morsing.

how it works

The two membranes are different sizes and are tensioned by the same straps, so each one vibrates in complex ways. The black paste on the smaller head adds weight at its centre, which shifts its vibration patterns and produces the metallic timbre.

so what

The mridangam does more than keep time: players follow and answer the soloist, improvising within the rhythmic cycles of the music. A version called the pakhawaj accompanies the North Indian dhrupad tradition, and a related drum, the kendang, is played in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The mridangam is traditionally tied to Tamil Nadu and is described as a royal instrument.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗