In contrast to melam it uses different instruments, is not related so closely to the kshetram ritual, contains improvised parts, and its present form was only composed in the 1930s by the maddalam artist Venkichan Swami Bhagavatar and Madhava Warrier. An intelligent mixture of composed and improvised parts creates an amazing sound atmosphere. Similar to panchari the artists are grouped in two semicircles facing each other. Pancha vadyas (the five instruments) are the drums timila , maddalam and edaykka , the cymbals ilathalam and the kombu horn. The hourglass-shaped drum timila and edaykka and the maddalam barrel drum players improvise in turn. The huge brass cymbals ilatalam maintain the intricate rhythm patterns, and the kombu C-shaped horn embellish and prolong the drum strokes of the percussionists. One of the must-do things in the itenary when you visit Kerala and it is said to be the orchestra for the Gods!