When a knot or cluster of notes is sung or played very fast and with gusto to decorate or embellish another note, it is called a khatka or gitkari. Say for example, R S S….R where the cluster, R S S embellishes R and is applied very swiftly. In instruments, khatkas are played not only in fast meends but also with the help of a combination of krintans and sparshs. R S in krintan and S in sparsh when played on a single stroke of the right hand can be termed as a khatka for its musical effect.

Ajoy Chakrabarty sings khatkas both in sargams and in aakars.
Ajoy Chakrabarty now sings khatkas in raga Puriya, following it with an abundance of khatkas around pancham in Yaman. It needs to be mentioned that for certain alankars like the khatka, varjit swars are sometimes used but with great caution and skill. Listen carefully to the hidden pancham in the khatka in Puriya.
Khatkas on the sitar.
Khatkas on the sarode.
Manilal Nag plays a few khatkas in raga Puriya Dhanashree.

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