Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai was a famous player of which instrument?

Explanation

Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai (1875-1937) was one of the most famous players of the kanjira, the small South Indian frame drum. He was also a skilled mridangam player, and he is remembered as one of the great percussionists of early 20th century Carnatic music.

Dakshinamurthy Pillai was born in Pudukkottai, a town in Tamil Nadu that was a princely state and an important centre of percussion music. He was a disciple of Manpoondia Pillai, who is credited with introducing the kanjira into Carnatic concerts. Dakshinamurthy Pillai raised the kanjira to the status of a respected concert instrument through his outstanding skill. He accompanied many of the great musicians of his time and was known for his deep knowledge of rhythm, his creative playing and his ability to produce a rich variety of sounds from a simple instrument. He was also known for his spiritual nature and is sometimes remembered as a saintly figure. He trained many students, and the Pudukkottai tradition of percussion has continued through them.

The kanjira has a circular frame made of jackfruit wood, about 7 to 9 inches across, covered on one side with skin, traditionally that of the monitor lizard. It has a single pair of small metal jingles set into the frame. It is held in the left hand and played with the fingers of the right hand, and the player changes its pitch by pressing on the skin. In Indian classification, it is an avanaddha vadya (an instrument with skin). In Carnatic concerts, it is often played along with the mridangam and the ghatam.

Other famous kanjira players include G. Harishankar, V. Selvaganesh and K.V. Gopalakrishnan.

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