Under the popular museum series ‘Exhibit of the Month’ of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, a traditional object is displayed in the appearance for a whole month. The exhibit for the month is ‘Urumili: Double Membrane Earthen Musical Drum of Irula community of Palghat, Kerala’.
Urumili or Pore is a double membrane pot drum made of earthen body and leather membrane, which is made and used by the Irulas for themselves. Irula is a small tribal community. Prepared lives in South-eastern part of India, whose traditional occupation is snake and rat catching.
The origin of the word ‘Irular’ is unclear. Some describes the word ‘Irula’ as the nomenclature derived from the Tamil word ‘Irul’ implying the dark complexion. Irulas are often being spotted by villagers as distinct silhouettes in the forests. Supporting their local name, the forest people claim themselves to have originated from darkness. Others are of the opinion that the word “Irula” is a derivative of the archaic word “erular” which means “one who digs tubers”, as the indigenous people of that time engaged in the activity. The present exhibition throws light on the musical culture of the Irulas, especially the typology, socio-religious utilities, and the significant ceremonial conducts associated with this fascinating membranous drum.
Irulas are good musicians they are very skillful in the execution of both the vocal and instrumental music. Instrumental music is one of their valued cultural expressions that occupy a prominent space in their wedding ceremonies, funeral rites and social festivals. It is an indispensable cultural entity that marks their pride of cultural harmony, moods of festivity and gaits of celebration.
The Irulas make their own drums and wind instruments for their musical practices. They use six types of musical instruments: kokalu, na, gacura, pore, tavilu, tambaTTe and ja:lra:. The kokalu is a kind of flute (a kind of clarinet) made either of bamboo or bamboo with wood and metal. This flute is the main instrument played on the occasions of marriage, burial and festivals. The na:gacura resembles the snake charmer’s wind pipe. The pore is made up of clay pot with animal’s hide at the centre. The tambal is also made up with animal hide which is circular in shape while the ja:Ira: is the metal looped with a string. All these musical instruments are crafted manually using indigenous raw materials.
