The Ghatam, one of the most ancient percussion instruments of South India, is a mud pot with a narrow mouth. From the mouth, it slants outwards to form a ridge. Made mainly of clay baked with brass or copper filings with a small amount of iron filings, the size of the ghatam varies according to its pitch. The pitch can be slightly altered by the application of plasticine clay or water. Ghatams are mostly manufactured in Maanaa Madurai a place near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Though this instrument is manufactured in other places like Chennai, Bangalore etc. Maanaa Madurai ghatams have special tonal quality. It is believed that the mud from Maanaa Madurai is of special quality, which contributes for the tonal quality of the ghatams manufactured here.

Playing position: The pot is usually placed on the lap of the performer, with the mouth facing the belly. The performer uses his fingers, palms and also his nails to produce different sounds. Sometimes the ghatam is turned around so that the mouth faces the audience and the performer plays on the neck of the instrument. The ghatam can be moved to different positions while being played. Occasionally, the performer will, to the amusement of the audience, toss the instrument up in the air and catch it.

The ghatam is capable of very fast tempi in rhythmic patterns. The ghatam is the secondary percussion instrument played with the mridangam in Carnatic music.

Sukkanya’s fingering techniques of playing ghatam is with all 10 fingers which is the technique of her guru.Her revolutionary idea's have elevated ghatam from the level of secondary percussion instrument to the centre stage.