ताल के दस प्राण
In Indian classical music and dance, Taal (rhythm) is the heartbeat. Just as the body has a soul, Taal too has its own life force, called the “Taal ke Das Pran” – the ten souls of rhythm. These ten elements give Taal its identity, beauty, and discipline.
The ten souls of rhythm are:
1. Kaal (Time)
2.Marg (Path)
3.Kriya (Action)
4.Ang (Parts)
5.Griha (Home)
6.Jati (Division of beats)
7.Kala (Art/Technique)
8.Laya (Tempo)
9.Yati (Pattern)
10.Prastar (Development)
Let’s explore them one by one, with simple meanings and Kathak examples.
1. Kaal (Time)
Literal meaning: Samay (time).
Time is the essence of music. In Taal, time is measured and divided into Matra (beats), Vibhag (sections), Tali (claps), and Khali (waves). Just like day and night define our daily rhythm, Kaal defines rhythm in music.
Time in music is measured through Matras (beats). For example:
Teentaal has 16 Matras.
Jhaptaal has 10 Matras.
2. Marg (Path/Way)
Literal meaning: Path.
Imagine traveling from home to office and back – that’s your path. Similarly, in Taal, the journey from the **first Matra to the last Matra** is called *Marg*. It’s the way through which a rhythm flows, covering distance between claps (Tali), waves (Khali), and divisions (Vibhag).
👉 Example: In Teentaal, moving from Matra 1 to Matra 16 (Sam back to Sam) is its Marg.
3. Kriya (Action/Expression)
Literal meaning: Action.
Kriya refers to the gestures of Tali (clap) and Khali (wave) shown with hands while reciting or playing a Taal. It is the physical expression of rhythm, helping musicians keep track of beats.
👉 Example: In Teentaal –
Tali on 1, 5, 13
Khali on 9
This physical action makes it easy to feel the rhythm.
4. Ang (Parts)
Literal meaning: Parts.
Just as the body has organs, Taal too has different parts called “Ang “. Ang refers to the standard measures used for counting time (kaal) in rhythym. These Angs are the fundamental units through which every taal is composed. According to the scriptures, the number of Angs in Tall is said to be 6.
Anudrut
Drut
Laghu
Guru
Plut
Kakapad
5. Griha (Home/Position)
Literal meaning: Home.
The “Home” of Taal is its first beat (Sam) where compositions often begin. Griha has four types.
Sam Griha – Composition or Bandish that starts at 1st beat.
Visham Griha – Composition or Bandish that starts at any beat other than 1.
Atit Griha – Atit means past, so the composition ends after the Sam.
Anagat Griha –Anagat means which is about to come, that means ends just before the Sam.
👉 Example: A Thaat or Amad in Kathak usually begins from Sam Griha, while some Bandishes enter before or after Sam (Anagat or Atit).
6. Jati (Division of Beats)
Literal meaning: Caste/Type.
In rhythm, Jati refers to the division of Matras (beats) into groups. Traditionally there are five types: Jati means the grouping of beats in a Taal. There are five traditional types:
Tisra Jati – 3 Matra
Chaturasra Jati – 4 Matra
Khand Jati – 5 Matra
Misra Jati – 7 Matra
Sankeerna Jati – 9 Matra
👉 Example: In Kathak, a Tisra Jati Tihai means repeating a phrase in a 3-beat structure.
7. Kala (Technique)
Literal meaning: Technique.
Kala refers to the technique of creating a new Taal. Kala in the context of rhythm it refers to the basic unit of time used to measure Taal. In simple words, Kala is like one heartbeat of rhythm. Just as a clock measures time in seconds, rhythm is measured in Kalas.
Kala is considered a unit of time (measure of Kaal).
It can be understood as a Maatra (beat/unit of rhythm).
Between two Kalas, an interval of eight Kalas is described.
One second is often considered as one Kala.
The different parts (ang) of taal were expanded into dugun (double) Chaugun, Astagun (eightfold)etc. to create new taal. This principle was applied in Taal Prabandhas (structured rhythmic compositions) to create new Taals and variations. In simple words kala is the basic unit of time used to measure rhythm in taal, and by multiplying it, new rhythmic patterns patterns and taals were created.
👉 In simple words: Kala is the basic unit of time in Taal. By multiplying it, musicians and dancers developed new rhythmic patterns and Taals.
8. Laya (Tempo/Speed)
Literal meaning: Speed of time in Music.
The word Laya comes from the Sanskrit root “li”, meaning to dissolve, to merge.
In music, Laya is the flow or speed of time in rhythm. It is the steady movement of beats, like the heartbeat of music.
Without Laya, rhythm cannot exist — it is the constant pace that binds the Taal (rhythm cycle) and gives balance to both music and dance.
Types of Laya
Traditionally, there are three main types:
Villambit Laya (slow Tempo)
Madhya Laya (Medium tempo)
Drut Laya (Fast tempo)