Swarshri Hegde enters India Book of Records for tabla performance

Swarshri Hegde, a two-year-old girl from Honnavar in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, has earned a place in the India Book of Records. At 2 years and 10 months old, she demonstrated the ability to recite and play 12 taals on the tabla.

Swarshri developed her interest in the instrument around 12 to 14 months of age, often watching her father, tabla player Gururaj Hegde Adukala, teach his students. Her parents eventually had two small tablas custom-made for her. Her achievement involves reciting the specific bols, or syllables, associated with each rhythmic cycle while simultaneously performing the matching strokes on the drums.

Her father is a well-known tabla player and disciple of Vidwan Seshadri Iyengar, and the family operates a music school in Honnavar. A video of her performance has gained significant attention on social media.