Malaysian musician repairs 50 traditional Indian drums as Thaipusam draws near

Sathiya enjoys repairing old folk drums because he gets to breathe new life into the vintage instruments. Photos: The Star/Azlina Abdullah

Hindu religious festival Thaipusam is about a week away and technician Sathiya Moorthy Kandasamy, 50, has been working round the clock to repair 50 South Indian folk drums.

They include the urumi (hourglass-shaped drum), thavil (barrel-shaped drum) and pambai (cylindrical drum). These drums, together with the jalra (small hand cymbals), are part of the urumi melam, a set of traditional instruments played at religious occasions like Thaipusam and Chitra Pournami, a full moon festival.