Kudamuzha or kudamudai Muzhavu is a huge pot shaped musical instrument, either made of clay or metal with mouth in the top covered by skin. This membranophone instrument is to be handled directly by hands and the tempo can be adjusted by tightening or relaxing the membrane. Kudamuzha is one of the ancient instruments of Tamil musical tradition and quite commonly referred in Tamil literature. The Saiva sacred literature Thirumurai frequently mentions it along with various other instruments and it is an accompanying instrument for the cosmic dance of Lord Siva, usually played by Nandi or Gana.
குராமலரோ டராமதியஞ் சடைமேற் கொண்டார் குடமுழநந் தீசனைவா சகனாக் கொண்டார் …..6.96.11
The above verse of Saint Appar shows that the Lord has Nandi as His percussionist, the one who handle the Kudamuzha for His dance. In addition, the Ganas also form the accompanying instrumentalists for both the cosmic dance and music of Lord Siva. The following are some of the verses in Thirumurai that picture the ganas play the kudamuzha.
….. பூதங் கொடுகொட்டி குடமுழாக் கூடியு முழவப் பண்டிகழ் வாகப் பாடியோர்…….1.75.4
……….. பாரிடம் பலவுங் கூடிக் குடமுடை முழவம் ஆர்ப்பக் கூளிகள் பாட……4.66.5
……….. குடமுழவம் வீணை தாளங் குறுநடைய சிறுபூதம் முழக்க மாக்கூத் தாடுமே………6.4.5
…….. குடமுழவச் சதிவழியே அனல்கை யேந்திக் கூத்தாட வல்ல குழக னாகிப் ………..6.83.3
The above verses of the great saints Appar and Gnanasambandar picture the Ganas as instrumental accompanists for Lord Siva’s performances, and play various instruments like kodukotti, kudamuzha, veena, thalam etc. The verses of Thirumurai are visually seen as sculptures in many of the temples of Tamil Nadu. Lord Siva in dancing form and Vinadhara form are used to be accompanied by Nandi or Gana handling kudamuzha for the former form and thalam, idakkai for the latter form. Sometimes Gana handling kudamuzha is also seen as miniatures in the padas of gala complex. Kudamuzha with single mukha is quiet commonly seen in sculptures, however it is quite interesting and awestruck to see the five faced kudamuzha in Thillai Nataraja temple.
Chidambaram Nataraja temple is remarkable for miniature sculptures relating to dance and musical instruments. Variety of ancient musical instruments is consecutively depicted in the upapitha of thiruchurru in the Amman shrine. The karana sculptures in the gopuras, miniatures of dancers and instrumentalists lavishly adorn the gala and padas of upapitha and adhishthana of various shrines, mandapas in this temple complex. One such miniature is the five faced kudamuzha handled by a male, is seen in the upapitha of Nrttamandapa. The five faced kudamuzha, known as Aimukhamuzhavu or panchamukha muzhavu or Panchamuki is now-a-days seen in very few temples of Tamil Nadu viz., Nataraja temple, Chidambaram, Thiyagaraja temple, Thiruvarur, Piravimarutheesar temple, Thiruthuraipoondi.
The Nrttamandapa is on the southern side of the second prakara and also to the south of the Chit sabha and the Kanaka sabha. The mandapa is raised on a upapitha and has an adhishthana of kapotabandha type, both the upapitha and the adhishthana are adorned with miniatures. The upoupana of the adhishthana is adorned with miniature gana frieze, it is quite interesting to see the ganas in active, vibrant poses and expressions. The padas in the gala complex of the upapitha are ornamented with creepers forming rings and miniature ganas are shown inside the rings. The gala in between the padas are adorned with beautiful miniatures, each section is depicted with a female dancer accompanied by a male instrumentalist or a pair of instrumentalists. In the middle section is seen the male handling the Aimukha muzhavu.
The pillars of the nrttamandapa are brahmakantha type with the components of kumbha, pali, phalaka and virakantha. The faces of the brahmakantha pillars are ornamented with miniature shrines, talas are shown consecutively on all the sides, in addition, miniatures also adorn the corners. The potikas are maddalas and the spouts are adorned with small bud however, angular-taranga, vettu potikas are also seen. The potikas bear the prastara of the mandapa. The canopy of the mandapa is ornamental with geometrical patterns and miniatures.
Among the miniatures in the gala complex, the middle section is adorned with a male handling the two types of kudamuzha, viz., Orumukha muzhavu and Aimukha muzhavu. The musician is seated on a pedestal with his legs dangling, planted on the floor firmly and shown with fangs and four pair of hands. He is draped in short attire and idaikattu, the knots of idaikattu are spreading on the sides and the yajñōpavita is worn in upavita fashion. Stone studded udarabandha adorn the abdomen, besides, he is decked with kandigai, charapali, beaded mala around the neck. The elongated ears are decked with patrakundalas. His eight hands are decked with kankanas in the lower arms and kirtimukha keyura in the upper arms. Padagam and thazhseri are worn in the ankle. His locks are styled as virisadai and decked with ornamental head patta. Tholmalai adorn the shoulders. The Aimukha muzhavu is placed in front of him whereas a pair of Orumukha muzhavu is placed on either side each one. All the three muzhavus are rested on square shaped stand.
The upper most hands are in mudras, the right is in eulogize and the left is broken but seems like vismaya. The next pair of hands is handling the oru mukha muzhavu placed on both sides. The next two pairs of hands are handling the Aimukha muzhavu; among the first pair of hands, the right hand is drumming the central bigger mukha whereas the left is handling the peripheral mukha in the front, as like, the next pair of hands are also handling the peripheral mukhas on the sides.
As said earlier the instrumentalists for Lord Siva are Nandi and Ganas, however, Nandi is usually depicted with a pair or two pairs of arms and also without fangs and Ganas as stunted and pot bellied. The male instrumentalist of this miniature is shown with four pairs of arms and also with fangs. As per puranic tradition, Banasura, the son the Mahabali, was an ardent devotee of Lord Siva and the legend states that this mighty asura king used to play percussion instrument with his thousand arms when the Lord is performing His tandava. The male instrumentalist of this miniature probably be the asura Bana, who pleased the God with his devotion and music and got the boon of immortality and God himself as his guard.
This miniature is remarkable, as two different types of kudamuzha are depicted in single sculpture. Now-a-days, kudamuzha is rarely seen instrument, though orumukha muzhavu exists in all its glory in Kerala region as mizhavu, but in Tamil region it is in the state of extinct, only in three temples the instrument is in usage and only very few specimens are preserved. Hence this sculpture is remarkable and a visual source of one of the ancient instrument of Tamils.