Daijiworld Media Network - Honnavar

Honnavar, Oct 27: At an age when most toddlers are busy playing and learning to walk, a two-year-and-10-month-old girl from Honnavar taluk in Uttara Kannada district has achieved a rare musical feat, securing a place in the India Book of Records.

Swarashree Hegde earned the prestigious recognition by flawlessly reciting and playing 12 taalas along with their bols on the tabla.

She is the daughter of Adukala's renowned tabla player Gururaja Hegde and English professor and Hindustani vocalist Srilatha. Gururaja is notably a disciple of Vidwan Sheshadri Iyengar.

Swarashree’s parents noticed her deep fascination with the tabla when she was just a year old. The toddler would constantly run her hands over the instrument whenever she saw it and would sometimes even fall asleep resting on the tabla. Recognising her innate passion, her parents had two specially sized miniature tablas crafted just for her.

According to her mother, Srilatha, the little girl learned the 12 taalas and their bols simply by sitting beside her father and closely observing him while he conducted classes for his students. The couple, who also run a music school in Honnavar, credit the constant musical environment at home for naturally nurturing Swarashree's talent.

Srilatha expressed immense pride over her daughter's entry into the India Book of Records. Meanwhile, videos of the toddler masterfully playing the tabla have gone viral on social media. Netizens and music enthusiasts alike have expressed sheer amazement at the child's exceptional sense of rhythm, deep concentration, and firm grasp of music at such a tender age.