Jatiswaram

A Jathiswaram, as term suggests is a combination of Jathi and swara patterns. Unlike a

Swarajathi which has sahityam, a jathiswaram is usually Tala centric and can contain
solkattu usages instead of padams or words.

A Jathiswaram can have many passages varying in length, usually in increasing fashion.
The nadai can differ from a slow to a fast and then back to original.

A Swarajathi is usually sung as a swara-sahitya pair. But a Jathiswaram is sung only

with swarams. Numerous Jathiswarams exist in ragams like Mohanam, Sree Ragam,
Bhairavi etc.

Jatiswaram is one of the most beautiful pieces of pure dance. Jatiswaram

brings out three aspects of dance – unity of music, rhythm and movements.
At Satvikam Shivam Jatiswaram taught is in

Raag Chakravakam in which the artiste weaves a rhythmic tapestry of

Swaras (musical syllables) interlaced with different rhythmic patterns of
tala (rhythm) and jatis (dance patterns).

Jathiswaram is like Mountain River – streams of melodies appear here and

there divided by stones of rhythmic patterns spread all along the main
cannel of Ragam, bending gently to and fro, following shape of the
mountain.

This is pure Nritta item set to tune (ragam) in particular rhythm (thalam). Jathiswasram
includes Jathi (sollukattu), Pallavi, Anupallavi and one or more Charanas. There is no
any sahityam passages present here, the whole composition is sung by swaras.

As a dance composition, jathiswaram includes jathi and several korvais set to Pallavi,
Anupallavi and Charanas. Some korvais are intervened by Mai adavu (set of adavus
characterized by elaborate body movement).

Famous Jatiswarams are composed in ragas Kalyani, Chakravakam, Arabi, Vasanta,

Saveri, Kamas.