Odissi - Classical dance style from Orissa (India)

Pada Bhedas - Variety of movements of the feet

Pindibandha - Forms created using many dancers, which symbolically represent Gods and Goddesses or their weapons

Pallavi - The first section (asthayi) of a composition in Carnatic music which follows ragam and tanam.

Pandit - Learned one, a master-musician.

Rasa - Sentiment

Rishi/ Muni - Sages

Raga - The raga is an Indian scale which utilises varying ascending and descending patterns-certain notes on the way up and certain notes on the way down-but always in a set sequence.
The raga never has less than five notes - minimum required for a tune. The Raga, or musical mode, forms the basis of the entire musical event. The Raga is essentially an aesthetic rendering of the seven musical notes and each Raga is said to have a specific flavor and mood.

Ragam - Alap in Carnatic music.

Ragamalika - A composition in Carnatic music. In this composition one raga leads to another forming a 'malika' (garland) of ragas.

Samãvakãra -One of the ten types of plays explained by Bharata in Nãtya Shãstra

Sukumãra - Graceful, delicate movement used in dance

Sam - This is the biginning of the cycle. The first beat of any cycle is usually stressed.

Samvadi - The next important, concordant note after the vadi.

Sanchari - It is the third movement in the development of a melodic line.

Sargam - Sol-fa syllables-Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni.

Shadja - The beginning note.

Shloka - A Sanskrit verse, devotional or philosophical.

Shruti - 'To hear' (Sanskrit). A microtonal interval less than a semitone.

Shuddha - A pure note.

Sthayi - Register above middle note.

Tablã - Percussion instrument used in Hindustãni (North Indian) Classical music

Tãndavas - The dance of Shiva - the vigorous and masculine aspect of dance

Taal - Same as Tala.

Tala - Rhythmic cycle.Tala is what binds music together. It is essentially a fixed time cycle for each rendition and repeats itself after completion of each cycle. Tala makes possible a lot of improvisations between beats and allows complex variations between each cycle.

Tan - A rapid succession of notes.

Tanam - Carnatic alap in medium tempo.

Tappa - Muslim love song, reconstructed and refined by Shouri Mian who intoduced it to Lucknow in 19th century. Before him they were simply folk songs of Punjabi camel drivers.

Tarana - A fast moving popular melody using nonsense syllables like 'ta' and 'ni'.

Teentaal - A 16 beat cycle divided 4+4+4+4.

Theka - This is a conventionally established pattern of bols and vibhag (tali, khali) which define the tal.

Thillana - A lively musical form, usually set to rendered in brisk pace. It is the Carnatic counterpart of the North Indian 'tarana'.

Thumri - Described as the expression of the singer's soul and temprament, thumri is purely romantic or devotional in its content. It came into vogue in the eastern region (Purab) of Uttar Pradesh towards the close of the 18th century as an accompanying song of dance.
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Avadh was probably the greatest known patron of thumri. Lucknow and Varanasi (Benaras) are the two centres from where thumri evolved into several varieties.

Tihai - short phrases played three times, ending on the first beat of the rhythm cycle.

Tora - Fast runs and repeated note passages.

Ustad - A learned one, master-musician.

Udhhata - Gracefully forceful movements used in dance

Vadi - The predominant note of the scale.

Vilambit - Slow tempo.

Vistara - Improvisation or elaboration upon the note.

Tali - This is the pattern of clapping. Each tal is characterized by a particular pattern and number of claps.

Khali - In addition to the claps, there are also a number of "waves". These have a characteristic relationship to the claps.

Vibhag (Ang) - Each clap or wave specifies a particular section or measure. These measures may be of any number of beats, yet most commonly 2, 3, 4, or 5 beats are used.

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