The Mridunga Drum
The Mridunga – Our Favorite Drum
If there wasn’t the Mrdunga, there would be no such thing as the Mayapuris. We feel that it’s the best drum in the whole universe, especially for kirtan. That is our happy bias. Today we play other instruments, like tabla, flute, harmonium, etc, but the mridunga was the first instrument each of us, the Mayapuris, learnt to play. Actually, my mother played mridunga often when she was pregnant with me, so I began to learn the rhythms from within the womb. The first mridunga I played was a nicely decorated Quaker Oatmeal box, with a strap attached to it. Kish practiced on a wooden block for years, because his little arms couldn’t reach both sides of the mridunga. In fact, Kish’s dad remembers him playing on one side, ti ti ti, then crawling to the other side, ta ta ta.
There is a mridunga pranam mantra that I learnt from my teacher, Bablu Mashai, whom I studied under from the age of ten. We would chant thismantra before each class to offer respects. The mantra begins by offering respects to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of kirtan, who also invented the mridunga five-hundred years ago. Earlier they played big heavy wooden drums. Instead, the mridunga makers used the clay from the nearby banks of the Ganga to create a light-weight drum. “Mrid” means clay and “anga” is body, so literally clay-body. It’s the primary instrument in Gaudiya Vaishnava kirtan, the kirtan of Western India, the style that our music is rooted in. Bhaktivinode Thakur, a scholar and poet from the Gaudiya tradition, says, “When I hear the sounds of the mridunga, all my worries, all my problems and sorrows fly away like crows at the sound of thunder, and my heart dances in ecstasy.”
Another interesting point of the mridunga is the range from the small, high side to the larger, low side. There is a symbolism inherent here as well; the sweet sound of the high side represents the feminine energy, or Radhe, and the low, bass side is the masculine energy, Shyam. Practically speaking, it’s a very dynamic drum. It can be played very softly and sweetly with lots of intricacies, and also very loudly with full vigor and passion. You can sit with it, dance with it, walk, and twirl with it. It’s the heart-beat of the kirtan.
- Vishvambhar
Kirtan is a soul injection, increasing it to the highest perfection, culminating in sat chit anand, bringing us one step closer to the beyond.
Thank you dear friends for your inspirational selfless service in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Hare Nama Sankirtana movement to sanctify, solidify, and multiply the nectarean ocean of Bhakti.
Hare Krsna Vishwambhar and other Mayapuri brothers.Wish u all the best in propagating the Holy Name.May Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada bestow Their mercy on all of u.
So younger brother(Vishwambhar) have you forgotten elder brother(kaunteyadas from Mauritius)?
Have not got any of your mails from ……………so…………..many……….months.Kripa karo mere bhai.Kuch to bolo.
Haribol.
This is amazing. I hope you bring joy to others, and even to those who do not know of the supreme truth. Kirtan can truly be life changing, and its great that you guys want to bring that even more into this world with force. I am so happy to see people filled with passion and love for something higher than this world,
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hari bol prabhuji pamho!!!!!
kirtans n videos r awesome
i’m actually crazy of ur kirtans>>>>>>>>
……>.>.>.>>>…..
hari bol
your servant
Aishwarya
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That is tru Mridunga can not be compare with any other drum in the universe. That is why it is called Shri Khol. As it is himself Sri Balram so it has to be best from the best. I am learning Mridung too. Waiting for the moment when i will play this in the rath yatra
Hare krishna i am from south africa -durban and i love playing the mridanga everyday of my life i practice playing and i always dream of going to india…mridanga is my life…please if youl can invite me on facebool ashveer ramnath….hari hari hari…
thank u very much for this website mayapuris.com
prabhuji i want to learn mridanga,please guide me/please show some videos
thank u very much
hare krishna
ur servant
shyamamurti das
I truly loved this brilliant article. Please continue this awesome work.
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maja(puuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrri)sss
aj em ein hard boiled egg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wos had gon plajinyg mridungw
Hari Bol! Love your music! Please post videos of learning mridunga.
Please… I need your mercy to be a humble and improving mridunga player… help me