Viruttam
விருத்தம்TamilSay it: vi · ruth · tham
- th — a soft t with the tongue against the teeth, not the English 'th'
A devotional verse sung freely, without a set tala
RepertoireBharatanatyam
Meaning
A viruttam is a devotional verse sung in one or more ragas with no fixed rhythmic cycle, so the singer improvises the melody freely. In a recital the dancer interprets it through abhinaya, often as an opening before a rhythmic item.
Also written: virutham, virutam, viruttham