When visitors step into the beautifully restored Victoria Public Hall in Chennai, they're greeted with an extraordinary sight and sound experience that transports them back over 2,000 years. At the heart of this remarkable journey is 25-year-old Manikandan, affectionately known as "Sound" Mani, whose passion project has blossomed into a stunning exhibit featuring 150 musical instruments from India's ancient Sangam era.

The collection includes rare treasures like the kinnaram, kokkarai, and kutta tharai, instruments that once filled the daily lives of people during the Sangam period but have long since faded from regular use. What makes this exhibit truly special is that these aren't dusty relics behind glass cases. Manikandan brings each instrument to life, demonstrating their unique sounds for curious visitors, including the impressive 12-foot-long neduntharai that reverberates magnificently through the historic hall.

The young sound engineer and music postgraduate divided his time between Erode and Chennai during the COVID-19 pandemic, turning a challenging period into an opportunity for cultural preservation. He immersed himself in ancient Tamil texts like Tholkappaiyam, Silappadikaram, and Pathuppattu, mining them for treasured information about these forgotten instruments. His research took him on inspiring journeys to temples across different regions, where he connected with rural artistes who still held fragments of this musical knowledge.

Today, Manikandan plays more than 18 types of native instruments, carefully recreating pieces of history with authentic materials including bronze, brass, and copper. His craftsmanship ensures the instruments are not only historically accurate but also easy to handle, making them accessible to anyone eager to learn.

The Ripple Effect

What began as one person's passionate research project has grown into something much larger. The exhibit, which will remain at Victoria Public Hall until May 31, 2026, has sparked tremendous enthusiasm, particularly among young people eager to learn these ancient instruments. Manikandan's startup, Aaguli, now conducts native instrument workshops not just in India but internationally, reaching students in the United States, Australia, and France.

The sound engineer's journey is especially inspiring considering he once lacked the financial means to pursue formal music education. Today, he's become a cultural ambassador, though he's selective about how he shares his knowledge. Rather than teaching these instruments merely as entertainment or hobbies, Manikandan focuses on imparting skill and knowledge-based training that honors the instruments' historical significance.

His timing couldn't be more perfect. In an age of constant digital distractions, Manikandan believes these ancient instruments offer something profound. They require concentration, patience, and presence, qualities he sees eroding in our scroll-obsessed world. As he reminds us, art is powerful, and these resurrected sounds carry the wisdom and beauty of generations past into our present moment.

The atmosphere in the hall shifts palpably as visitors move through sections dedicated to membranophones, chordophones, idiophones, and aerophones, with each ancient instrument telling its own story about the rich musical heritage of Tamil culture.