To accompany nadaswaram used for Hindu religious music. It is made of jackfruit wood with an animal membrane stretched on either side. The instrument is hung by a strap of cloth from the neck.
The fingertips are covered by thumbcaps made up of wheat flour and water. The stick on the left ad fingers on the right is used to play the thavil.
The cylindrical block of jackwood is used to make barrel-shaped cylindrical shell .the faces of the instrument are the same. A paste is applied on the inside of the left face of the drum. The animal skin is stretched and stitched over on both faces in layers.
Help is used for tying and bending the set of 6 to 7 bundled bamboo sticks to the parchment. The hemp is stitched onto the faces along with the stretched skins. For the desired pitch, a band of leather braces around the middle portion of the drum is tightened. The right side is played using the right fingers wrist and the left side is played using a short stick sometimes thumb caps are worn with the players.
The thavil is hung from a cloth strap on the shoulder of the player it’s made of purasai tree wood. It is played at religious or cultural events by the artists with great enthusiasm. Thavil is taught to be played in many schools at Thanjavur.
The music of Thavil relives the audience from the stress and strain of life and rejuvenates with great energy and the Carnatic musicians sing along with the beats of Thavil. The instrument produces a brilliant sound effect.