Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

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Sath
Posts: 44
Joined: 10 Jan 2020, 12:37

Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

Post by Sath »

I'm familiar with 1-kaLai and 2-kaLai chavakkam.

However, in the thread below, there is an implication that kaLai can be 1.5, or 3 or 4.
viewtopic.php?t=35318

I read this thread, but it didn't shed light on my question:
viewtopic.php?t=9527

Could someone enlighten me on whether 3,4,5 etc. kaLais exist outside just a theoretical possibility?

And also please enlighten me on what a 1.5-kaLai is?

Thank you

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

Post by msakella »

This was posted on 20211114. But, very sadly, even within two weeks’ time none of the great people of this forum responded! Does this not obviously reveal the present mindset of the people that, as I always generally bombard, each and everybody, nowadays, is ever ready either to turn a deaf-ear or blind-eye very conveniently in spite of the galaxy of our Great Sangita Kalanidhis, Sangita Kala Acharyas, Great Music academy Awardees, Padmashrees etc., etc.

As per Sangita Ratnakara and per my very little knowledge in Sanskrit I think that Eka-kala, Dvi-kala and Chatush-kala only are mentioned and not any of the others you wrote. May be the latter Pandits have introduced other things also, as you mentioned in your post, under the guise of their own house-traditions.

Our great people (kindly, irrespective of any subject) have never been used to sit together, discuss the needed things at length (leave alone the performing parasites), arrive at a logical conclusion and bring out a booklet to guide not only the teachers but also the poor students even for the sake of honestly and efficiently feeding our poor kids of our generation to take lead even for the next generations. Who bells the cat, dear!!!???

If you allow me – a small question! Spending for many hours and years of study I brought out my three books of their own kind on the rarest topic, TALAPRASTARA in 1985 (after getting out of the cold-storage for 13 years – Aranyavaasa or 12 years and Ajnaatavaasa of 1 more year – totalling to 13 years conveniently by the great learned and honourable people). Since then, what action has ever been taken by the classical music-world to bring it into the main stream??? Nothing!!! I have myself struggled to propagate it at my own length but not to get any Padmashree!!! This is the state of affairs of our own country!!! amsharma/msakella

shankarank
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Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

Post by shankarank »

There was a poster in sangeetham.com named pv venkat?? some name close to that. He characterized a khaNDa naDai pallavi as 2.5 kaLai. I have spoken to him once. He is a close follower of Ramanathapuram Sri C.S Murugabhoopathy and an ardent fan of TNS, may be a student also.

That discussion happens with SrI tanjAvUr GOvindarAjan here. And you can see a discussion between Sri Easwaran and him on the same subject where there are different takes on it:

https://youtu.be/12iHM8KJMD8?t=1628

So 3, 5, 7 KaLai's are triSra - 4 kalAi, KhanDa - 4 Kalai, miSra - 4 KaLai as Sri Easwaran asked and SrI Govindarajan clarified. Essentially it seems to be a convenience terminology using one qualifier instead of two qualifiers and seems to have been in vogue in the tavil/nagasvaram parampara.

Sath
Posts: 44
Joined: 10 Jan 2020, 12:37

Re: Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

Post by Sath »

Ah, got it, thank you @shankarank for the interesting video link and the explanation!

And thank you @msakella also. Agree very much that standardizing terminology would help in moving the art forward with clarity and efficiency, like one can see in the Western classical context.

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

Post by msakella »

Yes, dear member Sath, such things must be done on war-footing to save our great culture in tact. msakella

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: Can kaLai be anything other than 1 or 2? (Like 1.5 or 3 or 4)

Post by msakella »

In Sangitaratnakara Eka kala, Dvi kala and Chatushkala only are furnished, I remember. msakella.

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