Taral is a fully accomplished Tabla player and a disciple of Pandit Sudhir Mainkar of Delhi Gharana.

Born in India, Taral grew up in Vedchha, a small village in the state of Gujarat, and Navsari, where he was initiated into Tabla playing at the tender age of 12 by his father, Pankaj Naik, a disciple of Ustad Allarakha of the Punjab Gharana. At the age of 18, Taral relocated to Mumbai to study Tabla under Pandit Sudhir Mainkar, who was a disciple of Khalifa Ustad Inam Ali of the Delhi Gharana. Taral subsequently completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mumbai and obtained his Master of Arts in Music with a specialization in Tabla from Pune, India.

Taral honed his artistic prowess as an acclaimed Tabla player in India and subsequently relocated to Halifax, Canada, in 2016. There, he continued to collaborate with renowned musicians from diverse musical genres at various music festivals and concert halls, including the Halifax Jazz Festival, Obey Convention, Musique Royale, CBC Studio 60, the Khyber Centre for the Arts, Open Waters Festival, Upstream Music Association, and Vesuvius Big Band Project.

In addition to Tabla performances, Taral harbours a deep passion for teaching this centuries-old and continually evolving Indian classical art form. He is dedicated to fostering and expanding the realm of Tabla playing.

Taral integrates a meditative approach at the core of his performances and Tabla training. He feels that without meditativeness, performing or learning music becomes mechanical, peripheral, and routine. Musicians invest considerable effort in mastering the art, but it is equally crucial to nurture the inner self and psychological aspect of self, which remains largely untouched. He further emphasizes that without inner joy and contentment, it is impossible to convey joy and celebration to others through music. This is precisely where the meditative approach to music comes into play. Taral deeply believes that by adopting a meditative approach to performing and teaching music, he has established an insightful connection with the art.