SAPTATALA ALANKARAS
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SPRING NECTAR'S SPECIAL EDITION - 1
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Alankaram or Alankara means ornaments or adornments. In the context of Indian classical music, the application of an alankaram is essentially to embellish or enhance the inherent beauty of the raga and tala aspects.
Alankāram is a set of 7 Varisas composed in 7 different tālas. Hence they are called Saptha Tāla Alankāram.
The 3 main Angās or components of tālam are:
1) Laghu (beat & finger counts) and the symbol is I
2) Drutham (beat & wave) and the symbol is O
3) Anudrutham (just a beat) and the symbol is U
Laghu (beat & fingering) varies according to the Jāthi(sectors). There are 5 types of jāthis.
They are:
1) Tisra jāthi – Three counts
2) Chaturasra jāthi – Four counts
3) Khanda jāthi – Five counts
4) Misra jāthi – Seven counts
5) Sankeerna jāthi – Nine counts
Examples:
1) Chaturasra jāthi Dhruva tālam
Its angās are I O I I. That means, laghu, drutham, laghu, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 14 (4+2+4+4)
2) Chaturasra jāthi Matya tālam
Its angās are I O I. That means, laghu, drutham, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 10 (4+2+4)
3) Chaturasra jāthi Rupaka tālam
Its angās are O I. That means, drutham, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 6 (2+4)
4) Misra jāthi Jhampa tālam
Its angās are I U O. That means, laghu, anudrutham, drutham. Its aksharakāla is 10 (7+1+2)
5) Tisra jāthi Triputa tālam
Its angās are I O O. That means, laghu, drutham, drutham. Its aksharakāla is 7 (3+2+2)
6) Khanda jāthi Ata tālam
Its angās are I I O O. That means, laghu, laghu, drutham, drutham. Its aksharakāla is 14 (5+5+2+2)
7) Chaturasra jāthi Eka tālam
Its angās are I. That means, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 4 (4)