Darshanam Mogilaiah

Darshanam Mogilaiah

True people-centricity is emerging with the Padma awards. Darshanam Mogilaiah, a 12-fret kinnera, received the Padma Shri award. He goes by the name Kinnera Mogilaiah and is a folk artist from Mahabubnagar’s Amrabad forest reserve.

Who is Darshanam Mogilaiah ?

Darshanam Mogilaiah, also known as Kinnera Mogulaiah, is an artist from the Indian state of Telangana. He is one of the few remaining players of the kinnera, a type of tribal instrument. The kinnera is a stringed instrument with veena-like characteristics that dates back to the 4th century CE.

The instrument is unique to the Dalit populations and nomadic tribes of the Deccan Plateau, including the Dakkali, Madiga, and Chenchu. Different kinneras have various amounts of stairs or steps. The ancestors of Mogilaiah were the first to create and play kinneras with various numbers of stairs. A nine-stair kinnera had been built by his father. The 12-step kinnera was invented by Mogilaiah, who is also the only musician who plays and creates them. 

Darshanam Mogulaiah performed in front of delegates from 52 countries, with his 12-stair Kinnera. After the formation of the state of Telangana, the government, which promotes the arts and artists, will provide all possible assistance to Darshanam Mogulaiah. He has been giving his performances in various government programs. The biography of Mogulaiah is a subject in eighth-grade social science.