--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-ca/instrument/kanjira' title: Kanjira author: name: rajeevk url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-ca/user/4add8741a490747f' date: '2026-06-22T13:41:23+00:00' updated: '2026-11-06T00:26:26+00:00' type: product summary: 'The kanjira is the South Indian frame drum of Carnatic music, played beside the mridangam: a wooden frame with metal jingles and a lizard-skin or goat-skin…' tags: - Membranophones - Kanjira image: 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/mcp-imported/kanjira-378.jpg?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f11897f6e6b1b1edf_d20261105_m221219_c003_v0312033_t0041_u01793916739514&h=00546c34&itok=cMbrjZgq' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/mcp-imported/kanjira-378.jpg?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f11897f6e6b1b1edf_d20261105_m221219_c003_v0312033_t0041_u01793916739514&h=00546c34&itok=cMbrjZgq' 'image:secure_url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/mcp-imported/kanjira-378.jpg?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f11897f6e6b1b1edf_d20261105_m221219_c003_v0312033_t0041_u01793916739514&h=00546c34&itok=cMbrjZgq' 'image:type': image/jpeg 'image:width': '1200' 'image:height': '675' 'image:alt': 'Kanjira: small South Indian frame drum with a jingle slot' --- Carnatic instrument · Frame drum # Kanjira The kanjira is a single-headed South Indian frame drum of the tambourine family. Its circular wooden frame has a slot holding a small set of metal jingles. [Ask for a quote](/en-ca/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=378) [Learn the kanjira ](#learn) ## Buy from KalaSudha £250 to £600 - Sold by quote or made to order - Packed for shipping and delivered worldwide - Serviced and repaired by us, wherever you bought it FamilyFrame drum HeadGoat skin or synthetic TuningWetting the drumhead OriginSouth India (Tamil Nadu) Buy from us ## Choose your kanjira [Ask about a custom order ](/en-ca/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=378) - Entry level ### Entry level kanjira From £250 Entry-level kanjiras have synthetic heads. [Ask for a quote](/en-ca/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=378) - Professional ### Professional kanjira £350 to £600 Professional instruments have hand-selected frames. [Ask for a quote](/en-ca/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=378) ### What to look for A kanjira has no fixed pitch, so judge each drum on its bass response after wetting, its head material and its jingles. Choose a goat-skin or synthetic head, as monitor lizard skin is protected under Schedule I of India's Wild Life (Protection) Act and CITES Appendix I. Entry-level kanjiras have synthetic heads; professional instruments have hand-selected frames. The frame is a shallow ring of jackfruit or mango wood, with the jingles loose in a single slot in the rim; check that they move freely. Serious players keep a spare kanjira. Ask us for a quote, or for a kanjira made to order. ### After you buy Delivered worldwideWe pack every instrument for international shipping; ask us about cases and insurance. Service and repairWe service and repair any kanjira, wherever you bought it, worldwide: ask us. Strings, parts and casesAsk us for strings, spare parts and cases, and about a size for a younger learner. Help with your instrumentAsk us through the chat on any page, or by email, for help with your instrument. Gifts, schools and travelAsk us about gift vouchers, class sets for schools, and flight cases and travel help. Read the kanjira care guide - **After playing:** Wipe the head with a dry cloth to remove sweat and oils that degrade the skin. - **Storage:** Keep the kanjira in a padded case away from sun and heat, which dry the skin and can crack it or lift it from the rim. - **Wetting:** Before playing, dab clean water inside the head with a damp finger to lower its tension and bring out the bass. Over-wetting flattens the tone and takes time to reverse. - **Synthetic heads:** If one wrinkles or loses resonance, let it dry in open air before playing. - **Jingles:** Check that they move freely, and clean a sticking slot with a dry brush, never oil, which reaches the skin. KalaSudha Academy ## Learn the kanjira with us [All courses ](/en-ca/courses) You can learn the kanjira with KalaSudha online and in workshops, and beginners start at Foundation level. You learn to hold the frame in the left hand, thumb above the rim, and the first right-hand finger positions. We teach children too: ask us what age to start and about a size for a younger learner. After a long break, you start again where you left off. The levels in our courses make that possible, once your teacher has reviewed where you stand. [Ask about learning the kanjira](/en-ca/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=378) ### Your route, stage by stage 1. 1 Basics of frame drum technique KalaSudha beginners start here, at Foundation, the first level of our courses. Learn to hold the frame in the left hand, thumb above the rim, and the foundational right-hand finger positions. Practise the basic single-stroke patterns of Carnatic rhythmic cycles, aiming for a clear, even sound before speed. 2. 2 Tuning the kanjira Learn how moisture changes pitch: dab water inside the head to lower its tension and find the bass tone, and set the head to the right pitch before joining an ensemble. 3. 3 Carnatic tala system Study the primary Carnatic talas, Adi, Rupaka and Misra Chapu, and sustain each cycle at a steady tempo. Then learn the kanjira's place beside the mridangam, following its lead in the supporting percussion role it shares with the ghatam and morsing. 4. 4 Pitch bending and meend Develop the holding hand's pressure on the inner skin, near the rim, to bend the pitch while the other hand plays, working towards the sliding tones skilled players draw from the kanjira. Fit these meend-like inflections into standard stroke patterns without losing the cycle. 5. 5 Kalpana swara, tani avartanam and solo playing Learn the improvised structures of Carnatic percussion: build korvai sequences, practise moras and prepare for the tani avartanam, where the mridangam opens, the others take turns and all converge on a cadential ending. Develop the solo vocabulary of kanjira concerts. The instrument ## About the kanjira ### What makes a kanjira ### What is a kanjira? The **kanjira** (also khanjira or ganjira) is the small, single-headed South Indian frame drum of **Carnatic classical music**, and a KalaSudha kanjira suits the student percussionist and the concert accompanist. At most Carnatic concerts it sits beside the [mridangam](/en-ca/instrument/mridangam) as supporting percussion, with the [ghatam](/en-ca/instrument/ghatam) and morsing; it plays sharp rhythmic counterpoint against the mridangam. A wooden frame of about 7–9 inches carries the head on one face and metal jingles in a single slot in the rim. ### What makes a great kanjira The traditional head was **Bengal monitor lizard** skin (Varanus bengalensis), thin and dense, for a cutting tone and wide **pitch bend**. The species is now protected under Schedule I of India's Wild Life (Protection) Act and CITES Appendix I, so makers fit goat skin or synthetic heads with little change to the feel. Players dab water inside the head before playing: it lowers the tension, tames the very high dry pitch and brings out the favoured bass. ### How it is played The fingers of one hand strike the head while the holding hand presses the inner skin to bend the pitch mid-stroke, for sharp attacks and sustained tonal glides rare among frame drums. Selvaganesh, Bangalore Amrit and T. H. Subash Chandran have taken its solo vocabulary far beyond accompaniment. Start on one of our [kanjira](/en-ca/instrumental/carnatic-classical/kanjira) study paths. ### History Its name is the Tamil word for the drum. The kanjira belongs to the frame drum family found across the subcontinent and was a folk instrument before it reached the classical stage, where its high pitch was once judged unsuited. By most accounts Manpoondia Pillai of Pudukkottai brought it into Carnatic concerts, with dates from the 1880s to the early 20th century. A lantern bearer who learned drumming from the [thavil](/en-ca/instrument/tavil) player Mariappan, he settled on monitor lizard skin, added jingles and adapted thavil technique. He founded the Pudukkottai school of percussion; his disciples included Dakshinamurthy Pillai. For most of its history the kanjira held a supporting role beside the mridangam. In the 20th century Raghavan (1912–1985), called the father of modern kanjira playing, built a systematic technique. His students extended it, and by the late 20th century concert organisers accepted kanjira concerts. Its fast strokes, pitch bends and complex patterns suit korvais and kalpana swaras as the mridangam's do. G. Harishankar (1958–2002) received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for kanjira in 2001. Legal protection of the Bengal monitor ended lizard-skin heads on new drums from the 1980s; older players still use original heads. How a kanjira is made The frame is a shallow wooden ring of jackfruit (*Artocarpus heterophyllus*) or mango wood, about 7–9 inches across and 2–4 inches deep, with the head on one face. A single slot in the rim holds the jingles, one disc or coin on many frames and a pair or several on others; they sit loose with no hardware. Makers glue the head to the rim with no tensioning system. The traditional head is Bengal monitor lizard skin (*Varanus bengalensis*), a dense membrane 0.1–0.15 mm thick that gives a sharp attack and wide pitch range. The species is now protected under Schedule I of India's Wild Life (Protection) Act and listed on CITES Appendix I, so makers fit goat skin or synthetic heads in its place. With no rim tuning, the only pitch adjustment comes from water: players wet the inside of the head to lower its tension and bring out the bass. ### At a glance OriginSouth India (Tamil Nadu) ClassificationFrame drum, membranophone Playing styleRight-hand finger strokes; left-hand pitch bending near the rim Tuning methodWetting and drying the drumhead; water inside the head lowers tension and pitch Notable performersSelvaganesh, Bangalore Amrit, T. H. Subash Chandran, G. Harishankar TraditionCarnatic classical music Full specifications #### Physical dimensions Frame diameter7–9 inches (18–23 cm) Frame depth2–4 inches (5–10 cm) Head diameter7–9 inches (matches frame) Weight150–250 g Jingle count1 (a pair or 3–4 discs on some instruments) #### Construction materials Frame woodJackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) or mango wood Head materialGoat skin or synthetic membrane today; Bengal monitor lizard skin (Varanus bengalensis) traditionally, now protected Head thickness0.1–0.15 mm Jingle materialBrass, bronze, or steel disc Jingle diameter25–35 mm #### Sound characteristics Pitch rangeVariable (tuned by skin moisture) Pitch bend rangeUp to 3 semitones Tone characterSharp attack, short sustain Dynamic rangePianissimo to forte Resonance typeMembrane resonance with jingle overtones #### Playing technique Primary striking handRight Stroke typesBass stroke, open tone, slap, mute Pitch controlLeft-hand pressure on inner skin surface GripFrame rests in left hand with thumb above the rim Difficulty levelIntermediate #### Tuning and setup Tuning methodSkin moisture adjustment Pre-performanceWet skin with clean water 5–10 minutes before playing Optimal humidity60–70% RH for stable pitch Skin drying time10–20 minutes at room temperature Replacement headsSynthetic or goat-skin heads fit standard 7–9 inch frames Explore the music ## Hear the kanjira Hear KalaSudha's [recordings](/en-ca/releases) and [concert videos](/en-ca/videos). ### Players Ask us to book a kanjira player for a concert, event or recording. [Book a kanjira player ](/en-ca/book-indian-classical-musicians) Keep exploring ## More around the kanjira - [ Discipline Kanjira The small frame drum of Carnatic percussion, played beside the mridangam ](/en-ca/instrumental/carnatic-classical/kanjira) Questions ## Kanjira: common questions Buying, learning, care and the instrument itself. ### What is a kanjira? The **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** is a single-headed South Indian frame drum of the tambourine family. Its circular wooden frame has a slot holding a small set of metal jingles. In Carnatic concerts it supports the mridangam, often alongside or in place of the ghatam and morsing, and it has long served in folk and bhajan music. ### How do I start learning the kanjira? You can learn the [kanjira](/en-ca/instrumental/carnatic-classical/kanjira) with KalaSudha online and in workshops, and beginners start at **Foundation** level. You learn to hold the frame in the left hand, thumb above the rim, and the first right-hand finger positions. We teach children too: ask us what age to start and about a size for a younger learner. After a long break, you start again where you left off. The levels in our [courses](/en-ca/courses) make that possible, once your teacher has reviewed where you stand. ### What skin is a kanjira head made from? The traditional **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** head is the skin of the Bengal monitor lizard, and its belly skin has long been used. Manpoondia Pillai, who shaped the modern instrument, experimented with woods and skins before settling on monitor lizard skin. Goat skin and synthetic heads are now the common replacements. ### How do you tune a kanjira? A **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** is not tuned to a fixed pitch, unlike the mridangam or ghatam, and untreated it sounds very high. Players sprinkle or apply water to the inside of the head, which reduces its tension, lowers the pitch and brings out the bass tone they favour. Players therefore judge a kanjira on its bass response after wetting. ### Who brought the kanjira into classical music? Manpoondia Pillai of Pudukkottai is credited with bringing the **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** into Carnatic concert music around the 1880s and shaping its modern form. He learned drumming from the thavil player Mariappan, settled on monitor lizard skin, reduced the jingles to a single set and adapted thavil technique to the kanjira. He founded the Pudukkottai school of percussion. ### How does the kanjira differ from a tambourine? The **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** belongs to the tambourine family of frame drums. It is small, about 7 to 9 inches across, with a single slot holding its jingles. Players wet the inside of its head, traditionally lizard skin and now goat or synthetic, to lower the pitch and bring out a bass tone. ### What should I check when buying a kanjira? Because a **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** has no fixed pitch, players judge each drum on its bass response after wetting, its head material and its jingle response, and serious players keep a spare. Goat skin and synthetic heads are now the common choices. Frames run about 7 to 9 inches across and 2 to 4 inches deep. ### Where can I buy a kanjira outside India? KalaSudha sells the kanjira to players outside India, by quote or made to order, and delivers worldwide. Choose a goat-skin or synthetic head: monitor lizard skin, the traditional head, is now protected. We pack your kanjira for international shipping; ask us about a case and insurance. We service and repair any kanjira, wherever you bought it, in any country, and spare parts come from us too. For help with your drum after the sale, use the chat on any page or email . Ask us as well about gift vouchers or class sets for schools, or a flight case for travel. ### What does the kanjira do in a Carnatic concert? The **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** is a supporting percussion instrument, an upapakkavadyam, to the mridangam in Carnatic concerts, often alongside or in place of the ghatam and morsing. It began appearing on classical stages from the late 19th to the early 20th century, after being thought unsuited to classical music because of its high pitch. It also serves folk and bhajan music. ### Who are the best-known kanjira players? Manpoondia Pillai of Pudukkottai brought the **[kanjira](/en-ca/instrument/kanjira)** into Carnatic concerts, and his disciples Dakshinamurthy Pillai and Muthiah Pillai played it alongside the mridangam, thavil and ghatam. Later, G. Harishankar's main disciples include C. P. Vyasa Vittala, Bangalore Amrit and Nerkunam Sankar. T. H. Subash Chandran plays kanjira among several percussion instruments. ### Can I book a kanjira player for a concert, event or recording? You can ask KalaSudha to book a kanjira player for a concert, event or recording. In a Carnatic concert the kanjira supports the mridangam, often alongside the ghatam or morsing. Send your request through our page to [book Indian classical musicians](/en-ca/book-indian-classical-musicians), and hear our artists first in KalaSudha's [recordings](/en-ca/releases) and [concert videos](/en-ca/videos). ### Still have questions? Our support team can help you find the right answer. [Contact support](/en-ca/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=378) Talk to us ## Tell us about the kanjira you want Ask for a quote on an instrument made to order, or about learning to play it with our teachers. [Ask for a quote](/en-ca/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=378) [Ask about learning](/en-ca/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=378) Stay close ## Keep KalaSudha close. Receive news of concerts, learning opportunities, recordings and the work taking shape at KalaSudha. - Concert news - ·Learning opportunities - ·Recordings and stories We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time. Buy a kanjira from KalaSudha [Ask for a quote](/en-ca/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=378)