ABSTRACT

Moharas creative technique is the only one in the whole constellation of karnatic rhythmical devices where every conceivable parameter is based on or has as the most important element the number 4 or 8. For instance, if a mohara uses khanda in tala 11, the 55 resulting matras cannot be divided by 4; therefore, this option would never be considered. Although this is how karnatic musicians refer to it in case the phrase is divided into three cells any combination of two of them as well. The first example is a mohara constructed in adi tala with chatusra gati. Mixed gati moharas are a very intricate variation in which two gatis alternate throughout the usually 8 cycles that the sequence lasts, and applies mainly the concept of rhythmical sangati in combination with phrasing through gati changes in the development. The mukthay is a variation of a 3-fold mukthay, using the same phrase in three different speeds of chatusra.