Tala System: Common and Advanced Talas
Overview
This domain tests both recall of tala structure and practical identification of theka, tali, khali and sam. You should be able to state matra count, vibhag pattern and the positions of tali/khali for each prescribed tala.
Core structures
| Tala | Matras | Vibhag | Tali | Khali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teental | 16 | 4+4+4+4 | 1,5,13 | 9 |
| Jhaptal | 10 | 2+3+2+3 | 1,3,8 | 6 |
| Ektaal | 12 | 2+2+2+2+2+2 | 1,5,9,11 | 3,7 |
| Rupak | 7 | 3+2+2 | 4,6 | 1 (sam) |
| Dhamar | 14 | 5+2+3+4 | 1,6,11 | 8 |
| Ada Chautal | 14 | 2+2+2+2+2+2+2 | 1,3,7,9,11 | 5,13 |
| Jhoomra | 14 | 3+4+3+4 | 1,4,8,11 | 6,13 |
| Deepchandi | 14 | 3+4+3+4 | 1,4,8,11 | 6,13 |
| Chautal | 12 | 3+3+3+3 | 1,5,9,11 | 3,7 |
Worked example
Rupak is the standard trap. It has 7 matras, vibhag 3+2+2, and its sam (matra 1) is khali. Theka: tin tin na | dhin na | dhin na. Tali is on 4 and 6. If an exam asks "where is sam in Rupak?", answer matra 1; if it asks "is sam tali?", answer no-it is khali.
Traps
Jhoomra and Deepchandi share 14 matras and the same 3+4+3+4 division in many syllabi, but their theka and performance character differ. Ada Chautal is not Chautal: Chautal is 12 matras, Ada Chautal 14. Do not mark khali as a clap. In Ektaal, khali falls on 3 and 7, not on 9.