Mathalam

Layers of animal skin are moulded and made into Mootu and attached to the two sides of the shell using leather straps. Wooden tuning wedges or pegs are placed under the leather straps so that the Mathalam can be tuned precisely. A smaller variant of the Mathalam called the Madal exist predominantly in the northern regions of India and Nepal.

The larger left face of the instrument consists of goat and buffalo skin and the smaller right face of the instrument consists of goat and cow skin. Both are similar in construction to that of the Miruthangam. However, unlike the Miruthangam Soru (or Saatham) is applied to both the left and right face of the Mathalam. The Soru on the left side is usually larger in diameter and is designed to produce more bass notes whilst the Soru on the right is thicker but smaller in diameter and produces treble notes.

The main difference between the Mathalam and the Miruthangam is that the decibel levels in the Mathalam are incredibly high. The difference in decibel level is due to the texture of the skin used to construct the Thoppi (heads). The decibel level was the reason why the instrument was not preferred as an accompaniment to vocal recitals. The Miruthangam, with addition of few extra layers of skin differing in texture, thereby came into existence and became suited for vocal renditions.

The instrument is either played while sitting, or hung by a cloth strap, called Nadai, from the shoulder of the player similarly as that of the Thavil. It is played in the same manner as the Miruthangam both having identical syllables.

Mathalam still lives in the heart of the people and is predominantly used in folk music and dance. It is the fundamental instrument for Koothu.

References to the Mathalam have been made in many of the Saiva hymns, Panniru Thirumurai, the below are some examples: