Mal: മട്ടന്നൂര് maṭṭaṉūr
‘River Bank’ Town, Kerala
From Mal: māṭṭam, ‘entrenchment’, ‘ river bank’; and ūr, ‘village’, ‘town’, ‘city’.
Mattanur is famous for its percussion: the chenda, a loud two-sided cylindrical drum which features in temple ceremonies, festivals, and dance dramas; and Panchavadya Sangham, a percussion ensemble featuring four percussion instruments (timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka) and a horn (kombu).
