--and the goddess loves music

The main purpose of this website is to introduce the reader to the numerous and complex religious ritual and ritual music styles of the Hindu population of Kerala, southwest India. The audio examples and photographs are from the Traditional Music in India project, and the texts are based on field research done in 1995-7 and 2000-2 by the author, Rolf Killius. Kshetram are the tiny Kerala temples surrounded by paddy fields, coconut and areca nut trees. The ritual experts, the Namputiri Brahmin, conduct the religious rituals, ceremonies, and festivals. Professional musician communities (especially the Marar or Pooduval) accompany the rituals with a bewildering variety of musical genres and instruments (vadyam), thus creating an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for the goddess and her devotees.