گھٹم
घटम
قدیم مٹی کنسرٹ کی آواز میں تبدیل
گھٹم جنوبی ہند کا مٹی کے برتن کا تال کا آلہ ہے، جو مٹی اور پیتل کی برادہ سے بنایا جاتا ہے، کرناٹک کنسرٹس میں مرڈنگم کے ساتھ تال کی معاونت فراہم کرتا ہے۔
ساز کو جانیں
ساز کی گائیڈ میں اس کی آواز، ساخت اور دیکھ بھال کے بارے میں جانیں۔
History & Evolution
The ghatam is often called one of India's oldest percussion instruments, though no source read gives it a datable anchor. Open Magazine dates the tuned concert ghatam to the late 19th century, and the Darbar trust places its arrival on classical stages in the early 20th. In 1891 C. R. Day described the gatha, a large earthen jar held with its small mouth downward, which Telugu musicians used to accompany the vina. A 1930 account by Umayalpuram Sundara Iyer traced the move from local pots to ghatams made for playing in Panruti and Manamadurai, and Open Magazine describes Manamadurai as the only centre that still flourishes.
T. H. Vikku Vinayakram, born in 1942, learned from his father, T. R. Harihara Sharma. He began on the mridangam, gave his first performance at 13 and in 1966 played ghatam with M. S. Subbulakshmi in the United States. He received the Padma Shri in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.
- Ancient Period
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Ancient Origins
Clay pot percussion appears in South Indian temple contexts. The practice of using earthenware vessels for rhythm develops alongside other percussion traditions.
- 7th - 13th Century
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Temple Documentation
Sculptures from Pallava and Chola periods document pot percussion. The instrument becomes integrated into temple and court music traditions.
- 19th - 20th Century
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Concert Integration
The ghatam establishes its place alongside the mridangam in Carnatic concert format. Specialist players develop refined technique and repertoire.
- 1970s - Present
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International Recognition
Vikku Vinayakram joins Shakti and brings the ghatam to international attention. His Grammy Award in 1992 marks global recognition for Carnatic percussion.
Technical Aspects
Clay and Metal Composition
A concert ghatam is fired clay mixed with metal. Krishnaswami names iron filings, and Giridhar Udupa, a practising ghatam player, describes Manamadurai pots with small brass shards in the clay. Udupa finds these pots heavy and thick-walled, with a sharp metallic ring that players credit to the local soil. Typical ghatams weigh about 5 to 8 kg, and because each one is handmade, no two are identical.
Udupa's own account of making, on his website, describes several clays from different ponds mixed with filtered river sand, trodden for hours, rested and thrown on a wheel. The maker then beats and taps the wall from outside many times to even it and set the tone, so that a pot of about 16 kg ends at 7 to 8 kg before firing.
Size, clay, wall thickness and firing fix the pitch. After firing, a player can lower it only a little, with plasticine or clay inside, or with water. Because each pot holds one pitch, players keep a family of 25 to 40 pots across the concert range, Open Magazine reports.
How the Ghatam Is Played
The player sits with the ghatam in the lap, mouth towards the belly, and strikes it with the fingers, thumbs, palms and heels of both hands; nails and wrists add further strokes. Pressing the mouth against the belly to different degrees shapes the bass and gives fine differences of tone. The gumki is an airy, low bass made by striking the open mouth with a flat hand. Strokes at the neck, the centre and the bottom of the outer surface give a wide range of tone, and the instrument is capable of very fast rhythmic patterns.
A player can also turn the pot so its mouth faces the audience and strike the neck.
Advanced Techniques
Some players also strike the outer surface with the elbows. A mukthayam, or korvai, is a closing phrase played three times. In the tani avartanam a ghatam player may toss the pot into the air and catch it on the third repetition of that phrase, a move Giridhar Udupa describes as spontaneous. The display is old: in 1891 C. R. Day described players throwing the pot up and catching it while beating it, landing at the exact close of the tala.
مہارت کا سفر
اس فن میں مہارت کے لیے اس منظم سفر پر چلیں
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Posture and Basic Strokes
Learn seated posture with ghatam held against the stomach. Master basic striking positions on the pot's surface. Develop hand position and finger technique.
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Tonal Exploration
Study the tonal regions of the ghatam: bass tones from the mouth, mid-tones from the body, high pitches from the rim. Learn to control dynamics and articulation.
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Tala and Sollukattu
Study major talas and their patterns on ghatam. Learn the syllable system (sollukattu) shared with mridangam. Develop speed and clarity in pattern execution.
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Accompaniment Skills
Master the art of accompanying mridangam in concert. Learn to provide contrasting timbres while supporting the rhythmic framework. Develop listening skills for ensemble playing.
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Solo Performance
Study compositions for tani avartanam (percussion solo). Develop virtuosic techniques including pot tossing and rotation. Master concert-level presentation.
اکثر پوچھے جانے والے سوالات
How can a beginner, a child or a returning player start learning the ghatam, the Carnatic clay pot drum?
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.
Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!