Karaikudi Mani is one of India's top-ranking percussionists. In his art of mridangam playing, one finds a confluence of sound traditional foundations, power, variety and intricacies of cross-rhythms. He trained under great masters like Karaikudi Rangu Iyengar, Harihara Sharma and K.M.Vaidyanathan.

He is an intellectual leader and has created a number of new concepts of fusion and innovation. His contributions towards encouraging musicological deliberations and propagation of music are noteworthy.