Monday, July 15, 2013
The MANJIRA is a traditional percussion instrument of Bharata India. In its simplest form, it is a pair of small hand cymbals. It is also known as manjeera, taal, jalra, khartal or kartal.
They often accompany folk or devotional music. It is used in various religious ceremonies of India, especially bhajans. The manjira is an ancient instrument. Pictures of it have been found in temples dating back to the earliest times.
Manjira are usually made of bronze, brass, copper zinc or Bell metal and connected with a copper cord which passes through holes in their center. They produce a rhythmic tinkling sound when struck together. The sound's pitch varies according to their size, weight and the material of their construction. A player can also adjust the timbre by varying the point of contact while playing.
The manjira can also consist of a wooden frame with two long, straight handles that connect to each other with two short wooden handles; the open space between the long handles has a wooden separator that separates two rows of three brass cymbal. There are also small cymbals fixed into wood blocks forming another type of instrument also known as khartal.
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