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SANGEETHAM TNT # 26 THE STORY OF THE POT Prof. N. Govindarajan The Pot - Known as ‘Noot’ in Kashmir, ‘Mudki’ in rhythmic accompaniment. In the past it was Rajasthan and ‘Ghatam’ in Carnatic Music - is no employed as accompaniment for veena. ordinary clay pot! Methods of Playing : In North India this instrument is Origin : The Ghatam, like Mridanga and Veena is an played on a small round block with the mouth facing ancient Carnatic Music instrument. In a sloka in the upwards and is played on its round surface by the right Yuddha kanda of Ramayan, Valmiki refers to the hand and on its mouth by the left hand. Also the sound that emanates from the pot! There is an performer wears bras rings in his fingers. In South authoritative reference to it in ‘Krishna Ganam;’, a India, the performer places the instrument on his lap potential description of Lord Krishna’s flute recital. with the moutn hugging his belly. The performer The above two instances prove that Ghatam is an plays by using his fingers, wrists and even nails. instrument of ancient times in the cultural history of During accompaniment he keeps the instrument very India. close to his belly and then forces the ghatam outward Ghatam and the oridinary mud pot used for domestic which creates a peculiar bass sound. Occasionally the purposes are comparable only in that they are both performer keeps the instrument with the mouth facing made of clay and round in shape with the Ghatam the audience and plays on its neck. Sometimes to the having a narrower mouth. The similarity ends there. delight of the audience, during the percussion Ghatam is made up mainly of baked clay with brass or exchange he would throw up the instrument and catch copper fillings. The clay used is not of the ordinary it to suit the rythmic beats. kind. It is a secret combination of some powders Fingering Techniques : Basically only three different which is known only to the traditional makers of this sounds can be produced in Ghatam and these are instrument. The main bonding agent is egg which is produced by using both hands and fingers. Seven used in enormous amount. This combination is words are given to indicate these three sounds to shaped into a pot and then baked. Ghatam-s are baked enable easy fingering. The seven words are : Tha, in a number of places in South India, but the one The, Thom, Ta, Ku, Num and Ti. The combinations produced in ManaMadurai, a place near Madurai in are chosen such that they are pleasing to the ear. Tamil Nadu is stronger than the ones made at other Special Features : Unlike other instruments this is the places and is the one used mostly by artists. The only instrument that is homogenous in structure, only ghatam may be described simply as a pot with a one that can be moved into various positions while narrow mouth and size determines the pitch of the playing. Like flute, this is the only other instrument instrument, bigger the size of the lower the pitch. whose tune cannot be changed. Evolution : Known as ‘Noot’ in Kashmir and Wizards : Nalini Subba Iyer was the first artiste to ‘Mudiki’ in Rajasthan, Ghatam was used more or less bring up this instrument in South Indian Music. The as a folk musical instrument. In South India, it was subsequent artistes are Palani Krishna Iyer, Sundaram used as an instrument of fun, but now it has become a Iyer, Vilvadri Iyer, Alangudi Ramchandran and highly sophisticated instrument and has been raised Kothanda Rama Iyer. to a concert status, as a regular and important Ghatam vidwan and college professor

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