Village joins hands to boost Wayanad chenda stars at Kerala Kalolsavam

It all began last year during the State School Kalolsavam, when Vaduvanchal GVHSS qualified for the state-level chenda competition in the high school category for the first time. This historic achievement turned the occasion into a village-wide celebration.

The local community quickly rallied to support the students, converting a vacant room into a practice space for chenda. Families in Perumbadikkunnu opened their homes to the children, prepared food parcels for them, and encouraged every trainee. When the team travelled to Thiruvananthapuram for the competition, more than thirty villagers even accompanied them to offer moral support.

The students stayed at the home of Principal K V Manoj, and banking on a stellar performance, they earned an A-grade. Malayala Manorama soon published a report highlighting their triumph,  which further energised the entire village. Inspired by this success, the community established a permanent chenda training centre called `Panchari', with the panchayat and local residents collaborating to provide a building and other facilities. Even the panchayat members joined in learning chenda. The village is now preparing to expand training to include other traditional percussion forms such as Thayambaka and Panchavadyam.

The Vaduvanchal GVHSS once again competed at the state level this year. Building on the strength of students trained at the village, the school has secured an A-grade recognition not only in the high school category but also in the higher secondary category. Once again, more than thirty villagers came forward to cheer and support the team in Thrissur.