---
url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-in/faq/instruments-artforms/what-skin-is-a-kanjira-head-made-from'
title: 'What skin is a kanjira head made from?'
author:
  name: rajeevk
  url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-in/user/fce96177fd193d3a'
date: '2026-10-19T15:15:30+00:00'
type: website
summary: 'The kanjira head was traditionally Bengal monitor lizard skin; goat skin and synthetic heads are now the common replacements.'
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 FAQ · Instruments & artforms

# What skin is a kanjira head made from?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 

The traditional **[kanjira](/en-in/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.



 

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## Related pages

 1 page mentions this question

 

 

###  Instruments (1) 

- [   Kanjira 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…     ](/en-in/instrument/kanjira)
 
  

 

 

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