Seven matras in 3+2+2 — clap on 1, then 4 and 6 — with a normal emphatic sam, unlike its famous seven-beat sibling Rupak. The theka ("Tin Traka Dhin | Dha Ge | Na Tin") has a sprung, off-kilter energy; the name points to Pashtun northwest origins.
It appears in instrumental and semi-classical settings where a seven-cycle with drive is wanted. Set against Rupak (floating, khali sam) and Tivra (pakhawaj weight), it completes a lesson in how three thekas make three different musics from one number.