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Chautaal

Also spelled: Chartaal

The 12-beat dhrupad cycle — the khayal twelve's skeleton spoken in pakhawaj language.

Twelve matras in six vibhags of two — claps on 1, 5, 9, and 11, waves on 3 and 7, the same map as Ektaal. A different world, though: this is the great dhrupad tala, spoken in open pakhawaj bols ("Dha Dha | Dhin Ta | Ki Ta | Dha Dha | Dhin Ta | Ki Ta").

Its repertoire is parans and dhrupad accompaniment with full-handed, resonant playing. The Ektaal comparison is the classic demonstration that a tala is more than its clap map: identical skeleton, different theka and idiom, unmistakably different music.

Further reading

  • Martin Clayton, Time in Indian Music: Rhythm, Metre, and Form in North Indian Rag Performance (Oxford University Press, 2000).

These works cover this subject in depth. See the sources.

Definitions reviewed July 26, 2026Errors in a definition are corrected on notice. Report an error.