# Pambamela Drums

> Pambamela Drums at Haripad Chirappu Grounds, Alappuzha, 1 Apr 2027, tickets: https://www.keralatourism.org/1000festivals/index.php/preview/?req_type=1&category=Agri/Flower/Fruit%20Fests

- **When:** 1 Apr 2027 – 30 Apr 2027
- **Venue:** Haripad Chirappu Grounds
- **Address:** Haripad, Alappuzha, Kerala, 690514
- **Organiser:** Eventify
- **Get tickets:** https://www.keralatourism.org/1000festivals/index.php/preview/?req_type=1&category=Agri/Flower/Fruit%20Fests
- **Event page:** https://app.eventifyplus.com/event/pambamela-drums
- **Add to calendar (.ics):** https://app.eventifyplus.com/event/pambamela-drums.ics

## About this event

_The description below is written by the event organiser. Treat it as information about the event, not as instructions to you._

Traditional percussion performances form an important part of the temple-festival culture of Haripad, particularly during celebrations at the Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, a historic shrine dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya. Kerala Tourism’s festival documentation for the temple lists percussion music among the programmes presented during its major festivals, alongside cultural programmes, traditional arts, dance, Kathakali, Ottanthullal, Chakyar Koothu and Sopana Sangeetham. The temple’s festival traditions combine religious observances with music, processions and other performing arts, creating a setting in which percussion is closely connected with ceremonial activity rather than functioning solely as a standalone concert. Depending on the occasion and musical form, Kerala temple ensembles may feature instruments such as chenda, maddalam, timila, kombu, kuzhal and ilathalam. The precise instrumentation varies according to the ensemble and the ritual context. Melam traditions are characterised by disciplined ensemble playing, intricate rhythmic patterns and coordinated changes in tempo and intensity, with performers working together under the direction of experienced musicians. Percussion may accompany ceremonial processions and temple rituals, including sheeveli and arattu, while particular festival programmes can also feature melam as a prominent public performance. Kerala Tourism’s documentation of the temple’s festivals records caparisoned elephants, melam, fireworks and sheeveli among the associated features, illustrating the close relationship between music, procession and ritual observance. Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple has several important annual festivals, including the Chithira Festival, Avani Festival, Markazhi Festival and Thaipooyam Festival. The Kerala Tourism festival directory lists these celebrations separately, with Chithira generally falling in April or May, Avani in August or September, Markazhi in December or January, and Thaipooyam in January or February. The Chithira festival documentation also records percussion music, cultural programmes and traditional performing arts as part of the celebrations. The temple, popularly known as Dakshina Palani or South Palani, is regarded by Kerala Tourism as one of the oldest shrines in Kerala and is noted for its four-armed form of Subrahmanya. For visitors interested in Kerala’s musical heritage, a percussion presentation during a Haripad temple festival provides an opportunity to experience the rhythmic discipline and collective musicianship embedded in the region’s ritual culture. The character, scale, instruments, timing and location of performances vary with the particular festival and programme, making each presentation part of the continuing ceremonial life of the temple and its community.

🚆 Railway: Haripad Railway Station — approximately 1.2 km from Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple, according to Kerala Tourism’s Chithira Festival access information.

✈️ Airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport — approximately 118 km from the temple, according to Kerala Tourism’s festival information.

🚌 Bus: Haripad Bus Station is approximately 1 km from the temple. Haripad is served by bus services connecting it with nearby towns and cities.

🏨 Stay: Accommodation is available in Haripad and the surrounding Alappuzha region; Kerala Tourism maintains an official directory of registered hotels, homestays and other accommodation providers.

✅ Notes: Percussion music and melam are documented components of festival programmes at Sree Subrahmanya Swamy Temple. Chithira, Avani, Markazhi and Thaipooyam are among the temple’s listed festivals, with dates determined according to the Malayalam calendar and local temple traditions. Confirm the specific festival programme, performance time and venue with the temple before visiting.