Mridangam
Sanskrit
The double-headed drum that carries a Carnatic recital.
MusicBharatanatyam
Meaning
The mridangam is the principal percussion instrument of Carnatic music and of Bharatanatyam performance. Barrel-shaped with a playing head at each end tuned differently, it supplies both the pulse and the rhythmic conversation a dancer works against.
Also written: mridangam, mrudangam