Alankāram (Saptha Tāla Alankāram)

Alankāram is a set of 7 varisas composed in 7 different tālas. Hence they are called Saptha Tāla Alankāram. These are composed  in the rāgam Māyāmālavagaula.

The 3 main components of tālam are:

1) Laghu (beat & fingercounts) and the symbol is I
2) Drutam (beat & wave) and the symbol is O
3) Anudrutam (beat) and the symbol is U
These are called Angās.

Laghu (beat & fingering) varies according to the Jāthi. There are 5 types of jāthis.
They are:
1) Tisra jāthi – Three (Beat+2 fingercounts)
2) Chaturasra jāthi – Four (Beat+3 fingercounts)
3) Khanda jāthi – Five (Beat+4 fingercounts)
4) Misra jāthi – Seven (Beat+6 fingercounts)
5) Sankeerna jāthi – Nine (Beat+8 fingercounts)

The 7 tālas in the alankāram are:

1) Chaturasra jāthi Dhruva tālam
Its angās are I O I I. That means, laghu, drutam, laghu, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 14 (4+2+4+4)

2) Chaturasra jāthi Matya tālam
Its angās are I O I. That means, laghu, drutam, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 10 (4+2+4)

3) Chaturasra jāthi Rupaka tālam
Its angās are O I. That means, drutam, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 6 (2+4)

4) Misra jāthi Jhampa tālam
Its angās are I U O. That means, laghu, anudrutam, drutam. Its aksharakāla is 10 (7+1+2)

5) Tisra jāthi Triputa tālam
Its angās are I O O. That means, laghu, drutam, drutam. Its aksharakāla is 7 (3+2+2)

6) Khanda jāthi Ata tālam
Its angās are I I O O. That means, laghu, laghu, drutam, drutam. Its aksharakāla is 14 (5+5+2+2)

7) Chaturasra jāthi Eka tālam
Its angās are I. That means, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 4 (4)