Thani Avartanam in Mridangam

Thani Avartanam is an important segment in a Carnatic concert, especially for a percussionist to display his skill in individual improvisation. Perattu, Mohra and Korvai are crucial elements in any Thani Avartanam. Explore each page on every Suladhi Sapta Tāla to watch students of SIFAS play the soul of thani in all 35 tālas.

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But first, what is a tāla?

Each tāla is a rhythmic cycle of beats or aksharas, comprised of 3 types of units – Laghu, Dhrutam and Anudhrutam.

I – Laghu

The clap and subsequent counting by fingers is called Laghu, denoted by the symbol I.

​The number of beats in a laghu varies according to the jati. For instance, a laghu in Chaturasra Jati has 4 beats.

Jati

There are 5 jatis:
  • Chaturasra Jati (4 beats)
  • Tisra Jati (3 beats)
  • Misra Jati (7 beats)
  • Khanda Jati (5 beats)
  • Sankeerna Jati (9 beats)

O – Dhrutam

A single clap and wave of the palm is called Dhrutam, denoted by the symbol O. It has 2 beats.

U – Anudhrutam

A single clap is called Anudhrutam, denoted by the symbol U. It has 1 beat.

Suladhi Sapta Tālas

7 permutations of laghu, dhrutam and anudhrutam give rise to the 7 parent tālas in Carnatic music known as the Suladhi Sapta Tālas. For exmaple, Dhruva Tāla has the permutation of IOII, or laghu-dhrutam-laghu-laghu.

They are Dhruva Tāla, Matya Tāla, Rupaka Tāla, Jhampa Tāla, Triputa Tāla, Ata Tāla and Eka Tāla.

35 Tālas

Due to the jati variance of laghu, each of the 7 Suladhi Sapta tālas brings in 5 tālas by varying the jati of all the laghu present. This yields a total of 35 tālas. Scroll to find out more!

Laghu-Dhrutam-Laghu-Laghu

Chaturasra Jati Dhruva Tala (Shrikara): 4 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 14 beats​
Tisra Jati Dhruva Tala (Mani): 3 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 11 beats
Misra Jati Dhruva Tala (Poorna): 7 + 2 + 7 + 7 = 23 beats
​Khanda Jati Dhruva Tala (Pramaana): 5 + 2 + 5 + 5 = 17 beats
Sankeerna Jati Dhruva Tala (Bhuvana): 9 + 2 + 9 + 9 = 29 beats

Laghu-Dhrutam-Laghu

Chaturasra Jati Matya Tala (Sama): 4 + 2 + 4 = 10 beats
Tisra Jati Matya Tala (Saara): 3 + 2 + 3 = 8 beats
Misra Jati Matya Tala (Udeerna): 7 + 2 + 7 = 16 beats
​Khanda Jati Matya Tala (Udaya): 5 + 2 + 5 = 12 beats
Sankeerna Jati Matya Tala (Raava): 9 + 2 + 9 = 20 beats

Dhrutam-Laghu

Chaturasra Jati Rupaka Tala (Patti): 2 + 4 = 6 beats​
Tisra Jati Rupaka Tala (Chakra): 2 + 3 = 5 beats
Misra Jati Rupaka Tala (Kula): 2 + 7 = 9 beats
​Khanda Jati Rupaka Tala (Raaja): 2 + 5 = 7 beats
Sankeerna Jati Rupaka Tala (Bindu): 2 + 9 = 11 beats

Laghu-Anudhrutam-Dhrutam

Chaturasra Jati Jhampa Tala (Madhura): 4 + 1 + 2 = 7 beats
Tisra Jati Jhampa Tala (Kadamba): 3 + 1 + 2 = 6 beats
Misra Jati Jhampa Tala (Sura): 7 + 1 + 2 = 10 beats
​Khanda Jati Jhampa Tala (Chana): 5 + 1 + 2 = 8 beats
Sankeerna Jati Jhampa Tala (Kara): 9 + 1 + 2 = 12 beats

Laghu-Dhrutam-Dhrutam

Chaturasra Jati Triputa Tala (Adi): 4 + 2 + 2 = 8 beats​
Tisra Jati Triputa Tala (Shanka): 3 + 2 + 2 = 7 beats
Misra Jati Triputa Tala (Leela): 7 + 2 + 2 = 11 beats
​Khanda Jati Triputa Tala (Dushkara): 5 + 2 + 2 = 9 beats
Sankeerna Jati Triputa Tala (Bhoga): 9 + 2 + 2 = 13 beats

Laghu-Laghu-Dhrutam-Dhrutam

Chaturasra Jati Ata Tala (Lekha): 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 = 12 beats
Tisra Jati Ata Tala (Guptha): 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 10 beats
Misra Jati Ata Tala (Loya): 7 + 7 + 2 + 2 = 18 beats
​Khanda Jati Ata Tala (Vidala): 5 + 5 + 2 + 2 = 14 beats
Sankeerna Jati Ata Tala (Dheera): 9 + 9 + 2 + 2 = 22 beats

Laghu

Chaturasra Jati Eka Tala (Maana): 4 beats​
Tisra Jati Eka Tala (Sudha): 3 beats
Misra Jati Eka Tala (Raaga): 7 beats
​Khanda Jati Eka Tala (Raatha): 5 beats
Sankeerna Jati Eka Tala (Vasu): 9 beats

An Exhaustive Chart of All 35 Tālas
35-tala-system-chart.pdf
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