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Thetaal ormanjira (also spelledmanjīrā ormanjeera),jalra,karatala,kartal orgini is a pair ofclash cymbals,[1] originating in theIndian subcontinent, which make high-pitched percussion sounds. In its simplest form, it consists of a pair of small hand cymbals.[2] The word taal comes from the Sanskrit wordTālà, which literally means a clap. It is a part of Indian music and culture, used in various traditional customs e.g.Bihu music, Harinaam etc. It is a type of Ghana vadya.
In Hindu religious contexts it is known askaratala (karatāla;kara "hand", "arm" andtāla "rhythm", "beat"), typically used to accompany devotional music such asbhajan andkirtan. They are commonly used byHare Krishna devotees when performingharinam, but are ubiquitous to all Hindu devotional music. It is also calledkaratala orkartal (pronounced as “kartel”) in some contexts.
There are many types of Taal, categorised by size, weight and appearance.
The instrument is played in Nepal as well, known as theJhyamta (Nepali: झ्याम्टा) (phonetic: Jhyāmṭā), aNepali traditional musical instrument. TheKirat community uses this withdhol (kirat)) in various cultural festivals such asSakela,Chyabrung, Udhauli, Ubhauli and other social functions.
In Tibetan culture, thetingsha is a very similar instrument.
Manjiras are commonly played in folk anddevotional music. They are played in various religious events and ceremonies in India and especially inbhajans. Manjiras are ancient musical instruments. Manjiras can be seen in many ancient temple pictures.
Manjiras have a significant importance inGujarati andMarathi folk music. InMaharashtra they are known as Taal. Initially Manjiras were played inaarti. InGujarat andMaharashtra, manjiras hold great importance and are played inbhajan,santvani anddayro.