--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-jp/instrument/ghatam' title: Ghatam author: name: drupler url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-jp/user/1' date: '2025-08-30T14:32:07+00:00' updated: '2026-11-06T00:24:24+00:00' type: product summary: 'The ghatam is the clay pot of Carnatic music. Struck on its neck, belly and mouth, it gives tones from a metallic crack to a deep bass, beside the mridangam or…' tags: - Idiophones - Ghatam image: 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/2025-08/Ghatam.jpg?h=fec6b03b&itok=EupyPQNI' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/2025-08/Ghatam.jpg?h=fec6b03b&itok=EupyPQNI' 'image:secure_url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/2025-08/Ghatam.jpg?h=fec6b03b&itok=EupyPQNI' 'image:type': image/jpeg 'image:width': '1200' 'image:height': '675' 'image:alt': Ghatam --- Carnatic instrument · Clay pot drum # Ghatamघटम A ghatam is a clay pot that musicians play as a percussion instrument in the Carnatic music of south India. The player strikes it with the fingers, the palms and the heels of the hands. [Ask for a quote](/en-jp/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=108) [Learn the ghatam ](#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 FamilyClay pot drum MaterialFired clay, sand and additives RoleSecondary percussion, also solo OriginSouth India Buy from us ## Choose your ghatam [Ask about a custom order ](/en-jp/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=108) - Practice ### Practice ghatam From £250 [Ask for a quote](/en-jp/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=108) - Concert quality ### Concert quality ghatam Up to £600 Concert-quality Manamadurai pots have a strong metallic ring and stable pitch. [Ask for a quote](/en-jp/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=108) ### What to look for Start with pitch. Size sets pitch, and larger pots sound lower; firing fixes each pot's pitch for life, so its exact shruti is known only once it is finished. Test it with a tuner or with your accompanist against the music you will play, and check that the tone stays consistent around the neck. Professional players keep several pots and choose the one nearest the soloist's shruti. Then weigh the type. Concert pots come from Manamadurai in Tamil Nadu, where the metal blended into the clay gives the metallic ring; they are the heaviest and thickest, and need more finger force. Chennai and Bengaluru pots are lighter and thinner, and the Madras type is described as easier to play and better suited to beginners. Chips, pitting and uneven colour are common on handmade pots and are treated as cosmetic. Ask us for a quote, or for a ghatam 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 ghatam, 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 ghatam care guide - **Transport:** Clay is brittle. Carry the ghatam in a padded bag or foam-lined case, never a bare hard case, which passes every bump to the clay, and set it on a ring base or cushion. A hairline crack spreads under striking. - **Pitch:** Pitch is fixed at the kiln, so players keep several pots. Damp clay sounds lower and dry clay higher: a little water on the outside lowers it, though too much softens the surface and dulls the ring, and a warm room raises it. A dab of plasticine or clay lowers it a quarter to half a note, but can deaden the tone, so test after any change. - **Heat and storage:** Keep it from sun and heaters, since uneven drying cracks clay, with a dish of water nearby in heated rooms. Warm a cold pot to room temperature before striking it, to avoid thermal cracks. - **Surface:** A light coat of coconut oil now and then guards against dry micro-cracks; avoid oils that soak in and change the tone. Cared for, a ghatam lasts decades. KalaSudha Academy ## Learn the ghatam with us [All courses ](/en-jp/courses) You can learn the ghatam with KalaSudha online and in workshops, and as a beginner you start at Foundation level. Foundation sets the pot in your lap and teaches its three primary tones, from the metallic finger strike to the bass at the mouth. We teach children as well as adults; ask us about a starting age and about a pot size for a younger learner. After a long break, start again where you left off. Our courses are set out in levels, and your teacher first hears where you stand. [Ask about learning the ghatam](/en-jp/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=108) ### Your route, stage by stage 1. 1 Hand placement and basic tones Foundation level opens KalaSudha's courses, and beginners start with this stage. Sit cross-legged with the ghatam in your lap and its mouth against your abdomen. Learn the three primary tones: the metallic finger strike on the upper body, the rounded palm strike on the belly and the bass at the mouth, using fingers, thumbs, palms and heels. Build steady posture and relaxed hands before speed. 2. 2 Tonal zones and bass technique Develop control of every tonal zone, including the gumki, the bass made by sealing and releasing the mouth against the abdomen as you strike. Listen to how distance and pressure change tone and pitch, and move between zones within tala cycles at a slow tempo. 3. 3 Tala cycles, solkattu and konnakol Study the principal Carnatic talas, adi (8 beats), rupaka (6 beats) and misra chapu (7 beats), while speaking the ghatam syllables, which follow the mridangam's, as solkattu or konnakol. Hold each cycle at a steady tempo, first by voice, then on the pot. 4. 4 Mridangam partnership Play with a mridangam player or a recording. The mridangam leads, so learn to complement its patterns, leave them space and answer them in the same tala, without duplicating them. Train your ears to follow the lead percussionist's choices as they happen. 5. 5 Solo repertoire and tani avartanam Study the tani avartanam, the percussion solo after the main piece, where the instruments take turns and converge on a cadential ending, and learn established solo compositions. Develop konnakol to perform beside the ghatam, and, if you wish, the pot toss within a mukthayam, a closing phrase played three times. The instrument ## About the ghatam ### What makes a ghatam ### What is a ghatam? The **ghatam** is the clay pot percussion instrument of Carnatic classical music, and ours suits the accompanist and the soloist. The hands set the fired clay itself vibrating, with no membrane, so it is an **idiophone**, and it gives a palette from a sharp metallic crack at the neck to a deep bass thud at the mouth. ### What makes a great ghatam Concert pots come from **Manamadurai** in Tamil Nadu, where family workshops blend local clay with sand and metal in guarded ratios. The metal spreads through the clay in firing. It gives the metallic ring Carnatic musicians prize and separates a concert ghatam from a water pot. Firing fixes each pot's pitch for life. Manamadurai pots are the heaviest and thickest: they need more finger force. Chennai and Bengaluru pots are lighter and thinner. Size sets pitch. ### How it is played The player sits cross-legged with the pot in the lap and its mouth against the abdomen, striking neck, belly and mouth with fingers, thumbs, palms and heels. Sealing and releasing the mouth against the body shapes the bass, the **gumki**, so the body becomes part of the instrument. Tilting the pot against the body bends the bass into glides, and a palm slap on the mouth gives a sharp, cup-like crack. The ghatam adds bright definition beside the [mridangam](/en-jp/instrument/mridangam), joins the [kanjira](/en-jp/instrument/kanjira) and morsing. Since Vikku Vinayakram, it has also held the solo stage. ### History The ghatam's age is disputed. Tamil tradition links it to the epic Silappatikaram (about the 2nd century CE), which names a karagam among its percussion, and temple reliefs show clay pot instruments; P. Sambamoorthy wrote that the Ramayana mentions the pot as a time-keeper, though others find no ghatam in classical Tamil literature. Before concert use it was above all a folk instrument. As Carnatic concerts took shape under the Thanjavur court and the Trinity, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, the ghatam settled beside the mridangam, adding its own detail in the tani avartanam. The first dated concert record is Palani Krishna Iyer (1876–1908), who won a gold bracelet in Madras in 1897; Umayalpuram Kodandarama Iyer later raised its standing. T. H. Vinayakram, known as Vikku Vinayakram (born 1942), learned from his father, Harihara Sharma. He played in John McLaughlin's Shakti, with L. Shankar and Zakir Hussain, on its 1975 debut, and received the Padma Bhushan in 2014. He took the solo ghatam worldwide; his solo recordings from the 1980s drew a generation to it as a concert instrument. T. H. Subash Chandran extended its solo technique, and both trained younger soloists. How a ghatam is made Concert ghatams come from family workshops in Manamadurai, Tamil Nadu, where the craft has passed down for generations. Potters source local red clay known for its fine particle size and plasticity, then blend it with metal filings (iron or brass), coarse sand and gravel before any forming begins. The exact proportions differ by workshop and stay guarded, but the metal content is the defining ingredient: it disperses through the clay matrix during firing and produces the metallic overtone ring that distinguishes a concert ghatam from a water pot. Potters mix dry materials by hand, add water a little at a time and knead the mixture until it reaches a consistent, crack-free texture suitable for wheel throwing. Potters throw each pot by hand on a kick wheel, shaping it into a wide-bellied form with a narrow neck and a flared open mouth. They set the wall thickness to the intended pitch: thinner walls for higher-pitched instruments, thicker for bass-heavy types. Experienced potters control this by feel, checking thickness with fingertip pressure throughout the throwing process. After forming, the pot dries in shade for several days, because direct sun cracks the walls. Once dry, potters smooth the outer surface and check for structural weaknesses before kiln loading. Firing in a wood-burning kiln at high temperatures vitrifies the clay-metal mixture and sets the instrument's pitch and resonance. No modification is possible after firing: a pot that emerges with the wrong pitch or a surface crack is sold as a water vessel. Potters fire dozens of ghatams per kiln load, and musicians visit workshops to tap and test each pot before purchase, listening for the characteristic metallic ring and a clean fundamental pitch that matches their performing key. This selection process can take hours, with players rejecting most of a batch to find the right instrument. ### At a glance ClassificationIdiophone: clay pot drum MaterialFired clay blended with sand and additives such as metal filings, gravel or graphite, varying by maker Playing methodFingers, palms and heels striking the body and mouth; instrument pressed against the abdomen Key figuresVikku Vinayakram, T. H. Subash Chandran Primary roleSecondary percussion in Carnatic ensemble; also a solo concert instrument OriginSouth India; linked by Tamil tradition to literature of the 2nd century CE, a folk instrument before its Carnatic concert entry in the late 1800s Full specifications #### Physical dimensions Height (concert ghatam)35–50cm Maximum body diameter30–40cm Mouth diameter15–20cm Neck width8–12cm Weight3–6kg #### Clay composition Base materialLocal red clay (fine particle size, high plasticity) Metal fillerIron or brass filings dispersed through the clay; some workshops use copper, or graphite and lead Additional fillerCoarse sand and gravel Firing methodHigh-temperature kiln firing until vitrified; pitch set permanently Production centreManamadurai, Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu #### Tonal zones Upper body (fingers)Sharp, metallic crack; highest pitch Belly (palm)Fuller, resonant ring; mid-register Mouth (gumki technique)Deep bass thud by sealing and releasing mouth against abdomen Mouth (direct palm)Sharp, cup-like report Tonal zone count4 distinct zones per instrument #### Tuning method Primary mechanismFixed at kiln firing; no mechanical post-firing adjustment Pitch-raisingLeave in warm, dry environment to reduce surface moisture Pitch-loweringApply small amount of water to outer surface before performance Selection methodMusicians tap-test each pot against a reference pitch before purchase Body heat effectProlonged playing raises pitch; players compensate with positioning #### Acoustic characteristics Upper register characterSharp, metallic, overtone-rich attack Lower register characterDeep, woody bass resonance (gumki) ProjectionHigh for acoustic instrument; metallic ring carries in concert halls Dynamic rangeSoft to loud depending on striking force and zone Tonal characterMetallic, earthy, percussive; characteristic Carnatic timbre Explore the music ## Hear the ghatam Hear KalaSudha's [recordings](/en-jp/releases) and [concert videos](/en-jp/videos). ### Recordings to start with - [ Mountain Dhun by Ajay Prasanna \| Live \| Raga Unison at Edinburgh Ajay Prasanna, Shahbaz Hussain, R. N. Prakash 9:20 ](/en-jp/video/mountain-dhun-by-ajay-prasanna-live-raga-unison-at-edinburgh) - [ Yaad Piya Ki Aaye \| Ajay Prasanna \| London Raga Fusion \| Flute, Piano, Tabla & Ghatam \| KalaSudha Ajay Prasanna, Shahbaz Hussain, Rekesh Chauhan, R. N. Prakash 12:32 ](/en-jp/video/yaad-piya-ki-aaye-ajay-prasanna-london-raga-fusion-flute-piano-tabla-ghatam-kalasudha) - [ Raag Hansdhwani Live in Edinburgh by Pt. Ajay Prasanna Ajay Prasanna, Shahbaz Hussain, R. N. Prakash 8:31 ](/en-jp/video/raag-hansdhwani-live-in-edinburgh-by-pt-ajay-prasanna) ### Players - [ R. N. Prakash Artist ](/en-jp/artist/r-n-prakash) Ask us to book a ghatam player for a concert, event or recording. [Book a ghatam player ](/en-jp/book-indian-classical-musicians) Keep exploring ## More around the ghatam - [ Discipline Ghatam The clay pot drum of Carnatic music, played beside the mridangam ](/en-jp/instrumental/carnatic-classical/ghatam) Questions ## Ghatam: common questions Buying, learning, care and the instrument itself. ### What is a ghatam? A ghatam is a clay pot that musicians play as a percussion instrument in the Carnatic music of south India. The player strikes it with the fingers, the palms and the heels of the hands. The player changes the pitch by pressing the open mouth of the pot against the stomach. The ghatam has one opening, its mouth. The udu, a clay pot drum from Nigeria, has a second hole in its side, which the player strikes with the open palm for a bass tone. For the north Indian hand drums, see [What is a tabla?](/en-jp/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-tabla) ### How do I start learning the ghatam? You can learn the [ghatam](/en-jp/instrumental/carnatic-classical/ghatam) with KalaSudha online and in workshops, and as a beginner you start at **Foundation** level. Foundation sets the pot in your lap and teaches its three primary tones, from the metallic finger strike to the bass at the mouth. We teach children as well as adults; ask us about a starting age and about a pot size for a younger learner. After a long break, start again where you left off. Our [courses](/en-jp/courses) are set out in levels, and your teacher first hears where you stand. ### How is a ghatam made? A **[ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)** starts as clay. In one Manamadurai workshop, makers mix pond clay with fine sand from the Vaigai river, shape the pot on a wheel, then beat the walls thousands of times with a wooden paddle against a stone held inside. The pot drops from about 16 kg to about 8 kg, dries in shade for about two weeks and fires for about 12 hours. ### Can you tune a ghatam? A **[ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)**'s pitch, or shruti, stays essentially fixed once it is made, so professional players keep several pots and choose the one nearest the soloist's shruti. Size governs pitch: larger pots sound lower. Players can lower the pitch a quarter to half a note with plasticine or clay on the outside, or by wetting the pot. ### How do you play the ghatam? To play the **[ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)**, the player sits cross-legged with the pot on the lap and its mouth towards the stomach. Fingers, thumbs, nails, palms and the heels of the hands strike the neck, shoulder and base for different tones. Changing the pressure of the mouth against the abdomen varies tone and pitch. Players can also turn the pot so the mouth faces the audience and play the neck. ### Is the ghatam an ancient instrument? The age of the **[ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)** is disputed. P. Sambamoorthy wrote that the Ramayana mentions the mud pot as a time-keeping instrument, but a 1984 Sruti writer found no ghatam reference in classical Tamil literature. Concert use is better documented: Palani Krishna Iyer (1876 to 1908) brought it to the Carnatic stage, and before that the pot served mainly as a folk instrument. Later players include T. H. Vikku Vinayakram, Sukanya Ramgopal and Giridhar Udupa. ### What is the difference between a Manamadurai and a Madras ghatam? **Manamadurai** ghatams, from Tamil Nadu's best-known [ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)-making centre, are the heaviest and thickest type. They need more finger force and give a sharp metallic ring that some players prefer. Ghatams from Chennai (Madras) and Bengaluru are lighter and thinner, and the Madras type is described as easier to play and better suited to beginners. ### How do I choose a ghatam? When choosing a **[ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)**, start with pitch. Size sets pitch, and larger pots sound lower. A pot's exact shruti is known only once it is finished, so test it with a tuner or with your accompanist against the music you will play. Check that the tone stays consistent around the neck, and weigh the heavier Manamadurai type against lighter pots. ### Where can I buy a ghatam outside India? KalaSudha sells the ghatam to players outside India, by quote or made to order, and we deliver worldwide. We pack every pot for international shipping; ask us about cases and insurance. We service and repair any ghatam, wherever you bought it, in any country: ask us. Ask us for a spare part or a case, too. For help with your ghatam after the sale, write to or use the chat on any page. For gift vouchers, class sets for schools or a flight case for travel, ask us too. ### Does the Manamadurai ghatam have a GI tag? The **Manamadurai [ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)** has a Geographical Indication (GI) application, number 1986 in the handicrafts class, and the GI registry shows its status. Two bodies applied: the Process and Product Development Centre in Chennai, part of India's Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Tamil Nadu Handicraft Development Corporation. Manamadurai is a town near Madurai in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, and the best-known centre of ghatam making. Its pots are the heaviest and thickest type of ghatam. ### Does a ghatam break easily? A **[ghatam](/en-jp/instrument/ghatam)** is sturdier than it looks. One professional player reports only a couple cracking across his career; he carries them in padded Rexene bags with tough exteriors and uses sturdier cases for international travel. Chips, pitting and uneven colour are common on handmade pots, and sellers treat them as cosmetic. A ring base or cushion keeps the pot steady. ### Can I book a ghatam player for a concert, event or recording? Yes: KalaSudha can book a ghatam player for your concert, event or recording. A ghatam player can join the mridangam in a Carnatic concert or take the solo stage. Ask us through our page to [book Indian classical musicians](/en-jp/book-indian-classical-musicians), and hear our artists in KalaSudha's [recordings](/en-jp/releases) and [concert videos](/en-jp/videos). ### Who are the best-known ghatam players? Well-known **ghatam** players include Vikku Vinayakram, born in 1942, and his brother T. H. Subash Chandran. Vinayakram played in Shakti from its 1975 debut and took the solo ghatam worldwide; Subash Chandran extended its solo technique. The first ghatam player with a dated concert record is Palani Krishna Iyer (1876 to 1908), in Madras in 1897. Umayalpuram Kodandarama Iyer later raised the instrument's concert standing. ### How is the ghatam different from the udu drum? Both are clay pots played with the hands, from different traditions. The **ghatam** belongs to Carnatic music in South India. The udu comes from the Igbo people of Nigeria, where it began as a water jug with an extra hole in its side. They make their bass differently. A ghatam player seals and releases its single mouth against the abdomen for the deep gumki. An udu player strikes the large hole for a bass note. The Metropolitan Museum of Art classes its udu as both an aerophone and an idiophone; the ghatam, with no membrane, is an idiophone. ### Still have questions? Our support team can help you find the right answer. [Contact support](/en-jp/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=108) Talk to us ## Tell us about the ghatam 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-jp/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=108) [Ask about learning](/en-jp/form/learner-enquiry?source_entity_type=node&source_entity_id=108) 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 ghatam from KalaSudha [Ask for a quote](/en-jp/form/custom-instrument-quote?instrument_id=108)