Meet Aswathy and Archana, the first women to play a Chanda in Thrissur poor

Aswathy Jithin and Archana Anoop Thrissur Poormam break the glass roof in photo credits: Special arrangements

Gargle fireworks, elephant parades, kudamatomes (performing colored umbrellas), and more. Thrissur Poor who returns in 1796 attracts thousands of visitors every year in the famous Wadkumanthan temple. In a popular number of ‘Kanta’ by Band Masala Coffee, a woman asks her beloved if she can go with the poor with her. The song explains what she sees and what she does on the festival. One of the lines is: ‘Thimila Anikonan Kannanam Kantha … Thimilail Ethylon Kottanam Katha’, lax-translated, “I want to see an hour-shaped drum, I want to play hours-glass-shaped drums’.

Now, two women – Aswathi Jithin, 35, and 42 -year -old Archana Anoop, Pumkunam – not only the role of Thimila, but also a part of the Pandandi Mayalam, one of the main collision sets, who became the first woman to be part of Chanda Malum in the poor.

Asavathi, a native of Thrissur, raised seeing the poor. One of the main collisionists in the incident, married Jithin Kallat, increased his interest in Chanda. His 13 -year -old son Adithya learned Chanda, and was inspired to start learning when he was about to perform his first performance in 2018. After learning for a year, he made his debut in 2019.

Archana’s story is the same. Learning to three months in his son Udhav, he began training under Jithin, and made his debut on Deepawali in 2023.

Aswathy says: “My husband Jithin has been playing in poor for 10 years now. This year, Archana Chechi (Elder sister) and I approached her and also accepted our desire to participate in it. He agreed. The Devaswom Board also did it. And thus, in one of the rear rows, we became a part of the right hand of Valamthala or collision. The pair was part of the Pandandi Mayalam, which is part of the procession to bring it to the statue of Shathavu or Ayyapan via the southern gate, and ends in the Western Gopuram.

This is not the first time women have been part of the poor – in 2024, Hiridya, native of Thanikkudam, and Sripriya, a native of Mulakunathukavu, played Kuramakuzal or Wooden Pawan equipment similar to the flute.

“Our families have been very helpful,” Archana says, “My mother is being congratulated.”

Aswathy and Archana Performance in Anoop Thrissur Poorsam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The pair have so far been part of at least 10 Chanda Melms, including Shankarakulangara Bhagwan Temple and Kanimangala Shastha Temple. Asavathi says that he has always felt a close relationship with the poor as his father, C. Nandkumar Thrisura was a member of the poor Akopana Samithi, who works smoothly to the poor. “We have always gone to the poor – not only in Thrissur – as a family and returned home in the morning’s hours,” she says. Like Ashwathi, Archana also says that she never had such aspirations as a child, but she was musical tilted. Incidentally, both Arkana and Asvathi were part of the marching band in their respective schools in Palakkad and Thrissur. “I think, both of us were lucky to join music in some way,” Archana says. Both women have now set their places on learning the Sopana music (the holy ritual song, usually sung at the temple’s Nada or gate).

Chendas are heavy, which weigh about 13–14 kg. “When you get out it is a bit difficult to be with the Chanda; you suffer from shoulder pain and body pain, but you get used to it. And when performing you usually get drowned in it, which forgets you about the pain,” she says.

A day before his performance, women did not think much about it. “But the morning of the poor, it focuses on me that this is the first time when two women will play the Chanda in Thrissur Poor, which is an event Malayless around the world. But, once we started the mailm, all the nervousness went away,” says Aswathi. Archana said, “All other artists were very helpful as we joined the line of perkuctionist. We hope that the poor will be part in other temples as well.”