Meet Ashwathamma, the lone woman who makes percussion instruments

Ashwathamma recalls her journey making of percussive instruments, and how she tackled hurdles to be the lone lady in the profession

March 18, 2019 05:05 pm | Updated March 19, 2019 05:37 pm IST

BENGALURU - 07.03.2015 :  Ashwathamma Anantharamaiah, 72 year old a lady of Shanta Tabla works. She is the only lady instrument maker involved in the profession of making tabla and mridangam for more than 45 years, in Bengaluru on March 07, 2015.    Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

BENGALURU - 07.03.2015 : Ashwathamma Anantharamaiah, 72 year old a lady of Shanta Tabla works. She is the only lady instrument maker involved in the profession of making tabla and mridangam for more than 45 years, in Bengaluru on March 07, 2015. Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

While we have seen women playing percussion instruments, Bengaluru also boasts a woman who makes them. Ask Ashwathamma why she took up the profession and the 75-year-old says, “I have not gone to school. I am, however, educated in melody. My husband, RS Ananthramaiah, is a professional tabla and mridanga player.” Ashwathamma works at Shantha Tabla Works at Balepete Circle. Married as a teenager, she not only learnt to cook, but also learnt how to manufacture and repair percussion instruments.

Ashwathamma says did not want to be stuck at home doing domestic chores. “I was married when I was 15. My husband was a busy artiste. He played tabla at the Anjaneya Swamy temple in Rajaghatta near Doddaballapur. He had rudimentary knowledge of how to make instruments. There were very few who were inclined towards the manufacture of instruments. We moved to Bengaluru in the early 1960s and my husband was looking for a job as maker and repairer of instruments,” says Ashwathamma who began assisting her husband, and gradually made it her vocation.

BENGALURU - 07.03.2015 :  Ashwathamma Anantharamaiah, 72 year old a lady of Shanta Tabla works. She is the only lady instrument maker involved in the profession of making tabla and mridangam for more than 45 years, in Bengaluru on March 07, 2015.    Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

BENGALURU - 07.03.2015 : Ashwathamma Anantharamaiah, 72 year old a lady of Shanta Tabla works. She is the only lady instrument maker involved in the profession of making tabla and mridangam for more than 45 years, in Bengaluru on March 07, 2015. Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

 

Ananthramaiah’s guru Venkatappa, taught him music as well how to make percussion instruments. He started Shantha Tabla Works in 1962 at OTC Road in the Balepete-Chikpete area. In the years to come, the shop became the go-to address for top percussionists in Bengaluru for any kind of instruments-related work.

“My husband performed at temples, festivals, at theatre and Harikatha. I helped him with the manufacture of instruments from time to time.” Those were days when performing did not yield much money and this was the reason the Ananthramaiahs expanded into manufacturing. Ashwathamma had to balance household chores with her duties Shantha Tabla Works. She also had to bear criticism from relatives.

“Everyone knows percussion instruments are made from animal skins. Our life was amidst temples and festivities at Doddaballapur. When we came to Bengaluru, we had to deal with animal skins on a larger scale and that had irked our relatives. ‘Why can’t you make incense sticks instead of dealing with animal skins?’ or ‘Why are you making tabla and mridanga that requires manly strength?’ were some of their complaints. Making percussion instruments involves more skill than strength.”

BENGALURU - 07.03.2015 :  Ashwathamma Anantharamaiah, 72 year old a lady of Shanta Tabla works. She is the only lady instrument maker involved in the profession of making tabla and mridangam for more than 45 years, in Bengaluru on March 07, 2015.    Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

BENGALURU - 07.03.2015 : Ashwathamma Anantharamaiah, 72 year old a lady of Shanta Tabla works. She is the only lady instrument maker involved in the profession of making tabla and mridangam for more than 45 years, in Bengaluru on March 07, 2015. Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

 

Ashwathamma says it takes a week to make a pair of tablas and 10 days for a mridanga. Percussion instruments are made from a range of woods including jackfruit and mango. Cow, buffalo and goat skins are used for the leather layers. “I made nearly 100 instruments and repaired a few hundreds every year. Percussion stalwarts such as ML Veerabhadraiah, AV Anand and TAS Mani have vouched for the quality.”

Nearly 10,000 instruments have passed through Ashwathamma’s hands in 60 years. A majority of percussionists in Bengaluru come to Shantha Tabla Works to make, refurbish or repair their percussive instruments ranging from tabla, mridanga, dholak, dholki, damaruga, nagaari and thamte to khanjari. “My husband bagged the Karnataka Kalashri and my son, Srinivasa is taking it forward.”

(This column features those who choose to veer off from the beaten track)

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