THE PAST - INSTRUMENTALISTS
Pudukottai Manpoondia Pillai
Born poor, Manpoondia Pillai blossomed forth into a legendary figure in the art of percussion. He underwent training under Tirugokarnam Mariappa Pillai, a tavil vidwan. The credit for making the Khanjira concert-worthy goes to him. His versatility on that simple instrument, the brilliance of his playing and his supreme fingering techniques to meet the varied demands of a concert, the tone and rhythm he was able to develop on that instrument are proverbial. During his lifetime, he had no equal. His protégées include Pudukottai Dakshinamurti Pillai and Palani Subramanyam Pillai.
