The Mridangam, known as the double headed drum, is believed to be amongst the most ancient of drums.

A divine instrument, Mridangam is said to have been played by Lord Shiva and Nandhi Devar. It is the main percussion instrument used in Carnatic concerts and is known as the “King of percussion” instruments. It is used as an acccompaniment, as the lead instrument in tala vadya ensembles and is also played as a solo instrument in Thani Avarthanam concerts.

In Sanskrit, the word Mridangam  literally means “clay body”. This may indicate that the instrument was originally made out of clay.