When Kanhangad hosts the Kerala State School Arts Festival after a gap of 28 years from November 26, sixty students of A.C. Kannan Nair Memorial Government U.P. school at Melangot will give it a rhythmic start by performing Panchari Melam.
Although they are not participating in the festival as contestants, the students from Classes four to seven are practising hard to steal the audience’s heart at the inauguration.
School teacher Dr. Kodakkad Narayanan, who is the recipient of this year’s National Teacher Award, said children had been practising chenda for the past one month. He said Unnikrishnan Madikkai, who is the district secretary of Kerala Temple Orchestra Academy, was leading the team, including Manikanda Marar Uppilikai, Jayakrishna Marar Madikai and Madikai Harish Marar, which was training the children.
“Every day, children attend the class being conducted from 7.30 a.m. to 9 a.m,” Mr. Narayanan said.
“It will be an opportunity for the kids to showcase their talent and they will certainly impress people with their performance,” he said. The children are performing with the support of the organising committee of the State school festival. “We never thought that it would be possible for us to learn chenda in such a short span of time,” Rohan Thomas, a Class 7 student, said.
“It does not just strengthened our arms and muscle, but also relaxes our mind,” said Shiva Amrutha, a Class 6 student. Prior to the inauguration, they will be performing on November 23 too. They will start the Panchari Melam at Iqbal Higher Secondary School at 2.30 p.m. and end it by 6.30 p.m. at Neeleswaram.
