InstrumentMridangam
TraditionCarnatic
Legacy Profile(1912–1981)
Thiruvilvamala Ramaswamy
Notable Students
Palghat R. RaghuMavelikkara Velukkutty NairUmayalpuram K. SivaramanThanjavur R.RamadasKamalakar RaoG. Harishankar(Kanjira)Trivandrum V. Surendran
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Biography
Palghat T. S. Mani Iyer (1912–1981) was a legendary Carnatic mridangam artist revered as one of the Holy Trinity of Mridangam. A disciple of Sesham Bhagavatar, he revolutionized the role of the mridangam, elevating it from a time-keeping instrument to a rhythmic commentary. He was the first mridangist to receive the Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Padma Bhushan, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Profile last updated 2026-04-10
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