The "western manner": the Delhi-side family — Delhi itself and Ajrada — defined by bandh technique, kinar-centered two-finger work, and the primacy of peshkar and kaida over composed showpieces. Improvised development within strict rules is the core value.
Against the Purab family's open grandeur, the western schools prize transparency, intricacy, and laya sophistication (Ajrada's crooked-laya kaidas especially). The division is the oldest fault line in tabla style, though modern training crosses it freely in both directions.