Talam (cymbals)
தாளம்TamilSay it: thaa · ḷam
- ḷ — l with the tongue tip curled back
- th — a soft t with the tongue against the teeth, not the English 'th'
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
The small hand cymbals the nattuvanar strikes to mark the steps
MusicBharatanatyamKuchipudiMohiniyattam
Meaning
The talam is a pair of small cymbals played by the nattuvanar. Struck in time with the dancer's feet, they make the rhythm of every adavu, jathi and teermanam audible to dancer and orchestra.
Also written: kaitalam, jalra, kuzhitalam, nattuva talam