In any culture of the world, where people get into a trance as part of shamanic practice or religious rituals, it invariably involves some drum music. Whether it is just a heightened psychological state or it may be possession or influence by external spirits, that's up to your personal belief. But it does make sense that just as rubbing stones or wood together repetitively can create sparks, a repetitive drum beat can help induce an alternate state of consciousness. All I'm wondering now is whether a synthesised beat like in a remix album of kavadi songs will be more effective for a trance since it's most regular, or less because it is too machine-like. I have bought such an album recently, completely out of season, just to listen like it's disco or techno music, and from the first song called Kundrathil (sung by one A.R. Ramani Ammal, apparently composed by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan for a 1970s movie) to the nth track I lose count of, I must say it seems rendered with the very same throbbing beat over and over. The beat overpowers everything else.

In India, the carrying of kavadi does not equal all that display of piercing one sees during Thaipusam in Singapore or Malaysia, which is in fact said to be Chinese-influenced. And talking about music, there is a genre of Tamil songs called kavadi chindu, meant to be sung by devotees, which are actually rather easy-going even with the nadaswaram and tavil or whatever drums as accompaniment. One nice song is Cenni Kulanagar in rupaka talam, written by Annamalai Reddiar from the 19th century, who was the pioneer in kavadi chindu. It describes the pleasant atmosphere at a temple as devotees are carrying kavadi. Apart from kavadi chindu, there are always Murugan songs in classical form. There is one album Murugan Pamalai recorded by Nithyasree Mahadevan, who has a characteristic sonorant voice. I especially like the way she goes "Mu-ru-GAA..." in Muruga Muzhumadhi, written by Papanasam Sivan in Saveri ragam. It is not so much sweetness as a magnetic quality in her voice that makes it absolutely captivating. The song also finishes with a flourish of mridangam and ghatam, just nice, not over the top.