The Manka Revolution: How Tarun Bhattacharya Tamed 100 Strings

Dec 30, 2025
2 min read

For any student of Indian Classical Music, the Santoor is a marvel of engineering—100 strings stretched across a wooden frame, producing an ethereal, shimmering sound. But for the performer, those strings come with a massive challenge: Tuning.

Enter Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, a maestro of the Maihar Gharana. While many admire his lightning-fast taans and soulful melodies, music learners should look closely at his most practical contribution to the instrument: the Manka (Fine-tuner).

The Tuning Nightmare

Before the introduction of Mankas, tuning a Santoor was a painstaking process. Because each note is produced by a group of strings vibrating together, even one string being slightly "off" creates a jarring dissonance. Traditionally, players had to use a metal tuning key on the side pegs for every adjustment, no matter how small.

The Problem: It was slow, physically demanding, and lacked the "micro-precision" needed during a live performance when temperature or humidity shifted the pitch.

What are Mankas?

Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya revolutionized this by introducing Mankas—small, bead-like fine-tuners placed directly on the strings between the bridge and the tuning peg.

How they work: By sliding these beads along the string, the player can change the tension and effective length of the string ever so slightly.
The Result: This allows for instant, high-precision tuning without needing to reach for the heavy tuning pegs. It is the difference between a rough adjustment and a surgical one.

Why Every Music Learner Should Care

If you are starting your journey with stringed instruments, the story of the Manka teaches three vital lessons:

Innovation within Tradition: Tarun Bhattacharya showed that you can respect ancient traditions while using modern engineering to improve an instrument’s playability.
The Purity of Swara: In Indian Classical Music, the purity of the note is sacred. Mankas ensure that the Santoor remains perfectly in "sur" (tune) throughout a long recital, even under bright stage lights.
Efficiency in Practice: For a learner, less time spent struggling with tuning pegs means more time spent practicing Riyaz.

Beyond Tuning: The "Tarun Style"

The Mankas were just the beginning. Pt. Bhattacharya also modified the string thickness to achieve a deeper resonance and pioneered techniques to play Meend (gliding notes) more effectively—something previously thought nearly impossible on a hammered instrument.

By embracing these technical shifts, he didn't just change how the instrument is tuned; he changed how it sounds.