The slow tempo band, where matras sit far enough apart that the theka must be filled with subdivided strokes and ornament to keep the pulse legible — the bare bols alone would leave dead air.
Slow cycles expose everything: bayan sustain, evenness of fill, and above all the accuracy of the internal count. Accompanying vilambit khayal — where one avartan of Ektaal can stretch past a minute — is regarded as one of the hardest accompaniment skills, and Tilwada and Jhumra exist specifically for this territory.