They say success is not always about greatness, it's about consistency. Rani Jai Higher Secondary School in Nirmalagiri, Kannur has been a consistent participant in the Arabanamuttu competition in Kalolasavam for the last 9 years. They have once again tasted success at the Kerala State Youth Festival. The school team participated in the Arabanamuttu competition for high school boys and secured A grade.

The present team of ten students under the leadership of Muhammed Rayhan, a 10th-standard student at Rani Jai, is the tenth batch of Arabanamuttu artists who have received training from this school. Rani Jai HSS, alma mater of well-known personalities like Vineeth Sreenivasan, was established in 1972. Sr Dr. Mercy SABS, principal of the school, travelled along with the team to attend the youth festival. “This is my first year as the principal in Rani Jai. Ever since I took charge I have been hearing a lot about the Arabanamuttu team and the success they have had at the previous State youth festivals. I believe the school started seeing consistent success at the state level after they started training with Muhammed Sali, the instructor. It is his enthusiasm and the dedication of our students that have given us all the success for almost a decade” shared Sr Mercy. 

Muhammed Sali, shared details of his journey with the kids with great enthusiasm: "I began guiding students from this school in 2009. Since then, we have consistently won all district competitions and advanced to the state level. We won first place three times at the state level, and every other time we received A grades. I'm overjoyed that the school trusts me, and I've done my best to meet their expectations. I've been working in this field for more than fifteen years. For me, this is purely a question of passion rather than a means of livelihood.”

Sali, an engineering graduate, is currently employed in Dubai and plans to return to Kannur to teach the next batch for the Youth Festival. The students took the initiative and fulfilled their obligations to participate in this event this year, according to Sr. Mercy, who also mentioned that the school's contribution had been minimal. "They have devoted so much time and energy to this. And they've all done a fantastic job, which makes me very delighted. They had just one month to get ready for the state competition after the district competition, but they still did an outstanding job."

Arabanamuttu is a highly regarded religious art genre among Muslims. It gets its name from the Arabic word arabana, which refers to a hand-held, one-sided flat tambourine or drum. When performing Arabana Muttu, the Arabana is struck with the hand. The instrument is constructed from wood and fur. This is one of the most awaited events at the State Youth Festival and is widely popular among young audiences. 

The competition saw the participation of over 18 teams.