Section Tempo Rhythm Main instruments (i) ................ Slow and free No fixed beat Sitar and tambura Gat (ii) ................ Fixed tala cycle Sitar an...

The three missing entries in the raga performance table are:

(i) Alap [1]

The alap is the opening section of a raga performance. It is slow and rhythmically free, with no fixed beat or tala cycle. The soloist (here, the sitar) explores the notes and mood of the raga against the drone of the tambura. There is no tabla accompaniment during this section, as the music has no rhythmic framework yet. The alap allows the performer to introduce each note of the raga gradually, establishing the ascending (aroha) and descending (avroha) patterns.

(ii) Medium (also accepted: moderate or steady) [1]

The gat is the section where the tabla enters and a fixed tala (rhythmic cycle) is established. The gat typically begins at a medium or moderate tempo, allowing the sitar and tabla to interact through composed themes and improvised passages. This contrasts with the free rhythm of the alap and the very fast tempo of the jhala.

(iii) Jhala [1]

The jhala is the final, climactic section of a raga performance. It is characterised by a very fast tempo and rapid rhythmic strumming on the drone strings of the sitar, interspersed with the melody notes. The energy builds to a peak as the sitar and tabla engage in increasingly rapid exchanges, culminating in a dramatic arrival on sam (the first beat of the tala cycle). The jhala provides an exciting, virtuosic conclusion to the performance.