A lineage: a school of playing descending from a founding master, carrying its own repertoire, nikas, and aesthetic priorities through generations of talim. Six are canonical in tabla — Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Benares, and Punjab — each historically tied to a city or region and a characteristic baaj.
Gharana identity was once exclusive; today nearly all players train across lineages, and the labels describe repertoire ancestry and stylistic emphasis more than closed camps. The concept still organizes how compositions are attributed, how styles are compared, and how authority is claimed.