Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya

Through the Years

Bhattacharya’s 1992 album 'Song of Nature, Flame of the Forest' features a unique collaboration between santoor, mohan veena, and bansuri, instruments rarely recorded together in a classical jugalbandi format.

He began learning the santoor at age four and was performing and practicing in the Santragachi Music Academy established at his family residence in Howrah by the time his family moved there in fourth grade.

His invention of 'mankas' fine tuners was a technical breakthrough allowing the santoor to achieve a much higher degree of tuning accuracy and faster tuning during performances.

Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya transformed the santoor’s traditional design by inventing fine tuners, which have been adopted widely, improving tuning accuracy and expanding the instrument's classical repertoire. His establishment of the Santoor Ashram in Kolkata institutionalized his musical innovations, ensuring transmission of his techniques to future generations. His recognition by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Padma Shri award brought renewed attention to the santoor as a versatile classical instrument.