UPSC Civil Services Model Paper 6

Ghatam is an earthenware pot used in Carnatic music of Southern India .
It used as a percussion instrument in India .
The ghatam does not have a membrane over its mouth.
The ghatam is positioned with its mouth pressed against the player’s stomach.
The artist uses the fingers, thumbs, palms, and heels of the hands to strike its outer surface in order to produce sound.
An airy low-pitch bass sound, called gumki that is created by hitting the mouth of the pot with an open hand.
The artist presses the mouth of the pot against their bare belly , which deepens the tone of the bass stroke.
Different tones can be produced by hitting different areas of the pot with different parts of the hands.
The ghatam usually accompanies a mridangam.