Timila
Timila, thimila or paani, (Malayalam:തിമില) is an hour-glass shaped percussion instrument used in Kerala, South India. It is made of polished jackwood, and the drumheads made of calfskin (preferably taken from 1- to 2-year-old calf) are held together by leather braces which are also twined round the waist of the drum. This mechanism helps in adjusting the tension and controlling the sound, mainly two: 'tha' and 'thom'. It is one of the constituting instruments in Panchavadyam. It is also a major percussion instrument used in sree-bali, sree-bhootha-bali and related temple rites. A Panchavadyam performance is begun with Timila Pattu and ends with the Timila Idachal thus making timila a very important component of the traditional Kerala percussion ensemble. miks jonkman <3 timila

Masters of Timila 

Among today's masters of timila are Kuzhoor Narayana Marar, Annamanada Parameswara Marar, Chandran Marar, Thrikkambaram Krishnankutty Marar, Karavattedath Narayana Marar, Koroth Ramakrishna Marar, Chottanikkara Vijayan, Parakkattu Thankappan, Nandappan, Ooramana Venu, Ooramana Rajan, Ooramana Aji, Kariyannur Narayanan Namboodiri, Kunissery Aniyan,  Kongad Vijayan, Kongad Madhu, Vaikom Chandran, Payyannur Balakrishna Marar, Kariyannur Narayanan Namboodiri, Pallashana murali marar, Keezhillam Gopalakrishnan, Peruvanam Krishnakumar... Renowned timila exponents of the 20th century include Annamanada Achutha Marar, Parameswara Marar, Peethambara Marar, Chengamad Sekhara Kurup, Porathuveettil Nanu Marar, Pallavur Maniyan Marar, Perumbilly Narayana Marar, Kesava Marar, Pallippat Narayana Marar, Chottanikkara Narayana Marar, Bahuleyan, Pazhur Damodara Marar, Pallavur Kunhukutta Marar and Makkoth Sankarankutty Marar. 