Tala, Laya, Notation, Hasta and Body Technique
What this domain tests
Numerical and terminological accuracy: tala structures, vibhag/tali/khali positions, laya multiples and standard hasta counts, plus correct body terminology for Kathak.
Core rules
- Teental has 16 matras in four vibhags of 4: dha dhin dhin dha | dha dhin dhin dha | dha tin tin ta | ta dhin dhin dha. Tali falls on 1, 5 and 13; khali on 9; sam is matra 1.
- Other talas to know: Jhaptal 10 (2+3+2+3), Sultaal 10, Rupak 7 (3+2+2, khali on 1), Dadra 6 (3+3), Keharwa 8 (4+4), Chautal 12, Ektaal 12 (six vibhags of 2), Dhamar 14 (5+2+3+4), Jhoomra 14.
- Laya levels are vilambit, madhya and drut; layakari covers barabar, dugun, tigun, chaugun and the fractional aad (3/2), kuwaad (5/4) and biyad (7/4).
- Hastas: 28 asamyuta and 24 samyuta per Abhinaya Darpan, plus nine nritta hastas for pure dance. Kathak body work uses tatkar (khade and baithaki), chakkar, utplavana and anga-shuddhi - not the aramandi of Bharatanatyam.
Worked example
'Place a tihai of a 5-matra phrase, repeated three times, so that it ends on sam in teental.' Reasoning: 5 × 3 = 15 matras. Sam is matra 1 of the next avartan, so the tihai's last matra must be 16 - the phrase therefore begins on matra 2. Beginning on sam would finish on matra 15 and leave a one-matra gap.
Traps
Counting khali as a tali; giving teental two khalis instead of one; confusing dugun (2×) with aad (3/2); describing Kathak footwork with Bharatanatyam vocabulary; writing theka bols of one tala under another tala's name; ignoring the vibhag marks when reciting bols.