The tangmuri, ka tangmuri in the Khasi language

Khasi language

Khasi is an Austro-Asiatic language spoken primarily in Meghalaya state in India by the Khasi people. Khasi is part of the Austroasiatic family of languages, and is fairly closely related to the Munda branch of that family, which is spoken in east&endash;central India.Although most of the 865,000...

, is a double-reed

Double reed

A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. The term double reed comes from the fact that there are two pieces of cane vibrating against each other. A single reed consists of one piece of cane which vibrates against a mouthpiece made of metal, hardened...

 conical-bore wind-instrument used by the Hynniew Trep people of Meghalaya

Meghalaya

Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...

 State in North-East India

North-East India

Northeast India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal...

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The instrument consists of a turned conical-bore wooden chanter, about 20cm long, with seven finger-holes on the front, and a separate flared turned 15cm long wooden bell which is attached to the chanter by a push-fit.

The double-reed is tied onto a thin conical-bore metal tube c.3cm long, which is wound with thread to hold it in place in the chanter.


The tangmuri is used by musicians playing for traditonal dances, and for other traditional rituals, such as cremations performed according to the indigenous religion, Niam Khasi.