Man blessed with musical fingers!

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 1 (UNI) A 29-year-old man from Kerala has rewritten his own record, producing the enthralling musical sounds of mridangam, tabla, chenda, thakil and drum without using any of the percussion instruments but just by striking his fingers.

T C Rajan, a Gospel worker from Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district near here, yesterday performed the feat over five hours non-stop to rescript his earlier record of performing for three hours at a stretch.

As per the guidelines of the Limca Book of Records, he completed the feat in the presence of two percussion exponents.

Rajan, who loves Carnatic music, said except a three-month learning of mridangam, he had not received any formal training in any other instruments.

''I consider it as a gift form God, and I am performing it for Him'' Rajan told UNI.

''When I was in seventh standard one day I heard a snapping sound when I put down my right hand strongly. As I felt strange in the sound, I repeated it. Later, I started practising the art and within two years I could produce enticing sounds by striking my point and index fingers of both hands,'' he narrated.

However, while producing the sounds of the mridangam he uses the thumbs in addition to the other two fingers.

While producing the effects of the drum and the chenda, which require higher speed in the movement of fingers he uses his lips too to make the sounds more effective.

On how he mastered the art, he said, ''I used to listen to music till it got imprinted in my mind. Moreover, it is God's blessing and not my ability.''.

After developing the art, he has now been conducting stage programmes across the country for the last five years. He has already performed on about 120 stages.

UNI CGV RL PM1034