Bringing Mridangam from India

mahanara · Post by **mahanara** » 29 Aug 2007, 23:49

I'm planning to start Mridangam lessons for my son here in US. We have a small mridangam in India that we would like to bring. My questions are:
- What kind of packing is needed?
- Is there some place in Chennai that we can get this done?
- Should the mridangam be a hand luggage or is it safe to check-it in?

Would appreciate your inputs.

meena · Post by **meena** » 30 Aug 2007, 00:25

Sruthilaya and Sapthaswara musical instruments stores and few others in chennai they carry 'fiberglass travel case' for all big/small instruments .
Pl. note the airline considers this as one checked baggage and the mridangam + case will not fit in ur check in luggage either

goodluck with ur purchase.

meena · Post by **meena** » 30 Aug 2007, 00:27

& i forgot to mention no extra packing is needed.

mahanara · Post by **mahanara** » 30 Aug 2007, 02:32

Thanks Meena for your input..I'll check it out right away.

Ashwin · Post by **Ashwin** » 30 Aug 2007, 03:07

Many of my acquaintances who are mrdangists and/or mrdangam students regularly ship their mrdangams in nothing more than a well-padded suitcase with metallic plates to cover the faces - they are checked in with regular luggage and usually arrive in perfect condition. In fact, two mrdangams can often safely be accommodated in one large suitcase. You can ask the airline to place a "Fragile" sticker on them for extra protection.

Ashwin

sankirnam · Post by **sankirnam** » 30 Aug 2007, 07:53

I recently came back from Chennai with my family and bought 5 mrudangams back with me, so it is definitely possible to bring them via plane. Just make sure they are padded nicely... you can put clothes inside the mrudangam bag around the vaadyam itself, and then again in the suitcase pad the whole thing with clothes. Duffel bags are good for this purpose, as you can neatly fit a mrudangam inside (with the bag) and then squeeze clothes all around.
Actually, it was very difficult for me to find a suitcase that could fit 2 big mrudangams and still be allowed on the plane, I couldn't find any in the US. I got one in Chennai, in Saravana stores, for only Rs. 720.

sankirnam · Post by **sankirnam** » 30 Aug 2007, 07:54

Oh and yea, they have to be checked in (at least the full-size ones do). If you have a smaller one, then maybe you can hand carry it.

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 30 Aug 2007, 09:35

Mrudangam artistes travelling to Australia always face numerous questions from Australian Quarantine officials due to the untreated wood and skin of the mrudangam. If the instrument is an old one (eg. over 7 years old) then usually there is no problem.

I am not sure if there are such problems bringing items to USA and other countries.

Sankiranam - how did your arangetram go?

gnjb · Post by **gnjb** » 30 Aug 2007, 13:48

hello.
talking about bringing instruments, i would like to buy a veena and bring it here, switzerland. i am very scared that it would get damaged during the flight. has anyone ever taken a 'one-piece' veena - that it one which cannot be dismantled, by plane??
please advice.
many thanks,
gnjb

naaree · Post by **naaree** » 30 Aug 2007, 19:23

Sometimes, some of the percussion artistes touring the US tend to sell their mrdangams at the end of their tours. That is another opportunity to buy mrdangams here.

NS

Ashwin · Post by **Ashwin** » 30 Aug 2007, 20:58

gnjb wrote:hello.
talking about bringing instruments, i would like to buy a veena and bring it here, switzerland. i am very scared that it would get damaged during the flight. has anyone ever taken a 'one-piece' veena - that it one which cannot be dismantled, by plane??
please advice.
many thanks,
gnjb

I inquired about this with Sruthi Laya when I was last in Chennai (2005) - their procedure was to build a custom wooden crate for the veena and ship it by sea, port to port. Apparently, they do this all the time, and had not encountered any reports of damage.

Ashwin

nadhasudha · Post by **nadhasudha** » 30 Aug 2007, 22:00

gnjb,
I have brought a veena (one piece) to the USA on Lufthansa in 2000. Sruthilaya had packed it for me in a wooden crate with thermocol and I checked it in as one baggage. The veena arrived safely with no damages, thanks to the careful packing. With the recent airline baggage restrictions you may want to call up the airline you want to travel and inquire.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 30 Aug 2007, 23:59

The mridangam makers will make holes in tin plates and tie them over the heads --- but I feel that there should be something soft between the head and the plate, so I add that. On top of that there is room for a vesti or shawl or two further pading each end and it is ready to go in its normal carrying case.

Please note that BA have, I understand, introduced some silly 1-bag-only checkin rule. Whoever your carrier, check their site for current baggage allowances and restrictions.

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 31 Aug 2007, 06:25

I brought my veena by plane in the first instance. The fret board got completely shattered and this was due to high altitude and the base which holds the frets could not stand the templerature. The next time around, I packed it and brought it by ship and this time it was absolutely fine. I think this is some thing which you should discuss with who ever packs the veena for you. Certianly high altitude does things to the matter which holds the frets.

vinayo · Post by **vinayo** » 31 Aug 2007, 23:59

Ashwin wrote
"talking about bringing instruments, I would like to buy a veena and bring it here, switzerland. I am very scared that it would get damaged during the flight. has anyone ever taken a 'one-piece' veena - that it one which cannot be dismantled, by plane?? "

I have taken (my wife's) veena several times during my travels (mostly by Lufthansa-once by NW). The sruthilaya helped me pack the veena. It is better to inform the airline beforehand as the package may be considered as oversized. In the Schiphol airport such packages are put in separate belt conveyors. The customs were quite curious when I first took the veena to the Netherlands. They were surprised to know the price (of the 30 year old veena). On all occasions the veena came as packed in Chennai.
Sam Swaminathan,
I don't see why high altitudes should matter in flights! After all even the luggage holder is kept under air-condtioned and of course pressurised.

mridangamkid · Post by **mridangamkid** » 03 Sep 2007, 22:24

I came back a couple days ago and brought 2 mridangams, both I checked in, I just put a fragile sticker on it, my guru gave me a pair of metal plates for each of the mridangam and I put them on either side of the case. Thats pretty much all I did, and it worked.

gnjb · Post by **gnjb** » 07 Sep 2007, 14:23

Thanks to you all for answering my query...i certainly have a better idea now!!

regards,
gnjb