[1][page needed] Although the ghatam is the same shape as an ordinary Indian domestic clay pot, it is made specifically to be played as an instrument.

Though this instrument is manufactured in other places like Chennai and Bangalore, too, Manamadurai ghatams have special tonal quality.

The Manamadurai ghaṭam is a heavy, thick pot with tiny shards of brass mixed into the clay.

This type of ghaṭam is harder to play but produces a sharp metallic ringing sound which is favored by some players.

The performer uses their fingers, thumbs, palms, and heels of the hands to strike its outer surface to produce different sounds.

It is noteworthy that in Tamil the term ghaṭam specifically carries the meaning of a percussive musical instrument, although in Sanskrit it is a generic word for a pot of any kind.

The maker sometimes adds some kind of metal or graphite dust to the clay which is responsible for the blue-gray appearance and for the special sound.

Both of the red clay types can also be found highly decorated with colorfully painted designs while the black ones are usually plain and unfinished.

In other words, there is much less variation in the tuning when compared with ghaṭams from South India, which can range from a low B up to a high A chromatically.

Ghaṛas/Matkas are usually found with a range from approximately C or C♯ to D (or slightly higher) although there does not seem to be any indication that these instruments are constructed with tuning considerations.