Prescribed Talas: Theka, Matra, Vibhag, Tali, Khali, Laya, Layakari
What the domain covers
Questions test the vocabulary of tala and your ability to count: how many matras, how the vibhags divide, where tali and khali fall, and how layakari changes the count without changing the cycle.
Core definitions
- Matra - one beat of the cycle. Vibhag - a group of matras. Sam - matra 1, the point of resolution. Tali - clapped vibhag (marked 2, 3, 4). Khali - waved vibhag (0). Avartan - one complete cycle. Theka - the fixed bol pattern of a tala. Laya - vilambit, madhya, drut. Layakari - barabar (1:1), dugun (2:1), tigun (3:1), chaugun (4:1), aad (3:2), kuad (5:4).
Prescribed talas
- Teentaal 16 matras, 4+4+4+4, tali 1, 5, 13, khali 9.
- Ektaal 12 matras, 2+2+2+2+2+2, tali 1, 5, 9, 11, khali 3, 7.
- Jhaptaal 10 matras, 2+3+2+3, tali 1, 3, 8, khali 6.
- Rupak 7 matras, 3+2+2, khali on sam (matra 1), tali 4, 6.
- Chautaal 12 matras, 2×6, tali 1, 5, 9, 11, khali 3, 7.
- Dadra 6 matras, 3+3, tali 1, khali 4; Keharwa 8 matras, 4+4, tali 1, khali 5.
Worked example
Teentaal in dugun: the 16-matra cycle is filled with 32 bols, each matra carrying two. Sam still falls on matra 1, khali still begins at matra 9 - layakari doubles the density inside the cycle, never the cycle itself. In aad (3:2), three bols occupy the space of two matras, so the khali is reached at a different bol but the same matra.
Traps that cost marks
Khali is a vibhag with bols, not silence; sam is matra 1 and is a tali in every tala except Rupak; confusing vibhag count with matra count; writing Jhaptaal as 3+3+2+2 instead of 2+3+2+3.