Rupak tal is a common seven beat tal in Northern India.

Rupak (7/3). It contains seven matras: it is split into three parts, the first part is of the three matras, the next two matras each. The first matra and sam is khali, while the fourth and sixth matra get a tali (clap) each. This tal is like teevra tal is not khali as follows:

Matras 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Words (bol) DHIN DHA TRIK DHIN DHIN DHA TRIK
Theka +0 2 3

Some people do the rupak tal in the following way:

Matras 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Words (bol) TIN TIN NA DHIN NA DHIN NA
Theka +0 2 3

Rupak tal may be found in almost any musical style. It is found in film songs, kheyal, gazal, instrumental pieces; virtually any north Indian form. The only forms where it is absent are the dhrupad and dhammar styles of singing; it is only absent in these styles because tivra tal serves the same function.

Rupak is unique among the tals in that the first beat ( i.e., the sam) is khali (i.e., represented by a wave of the hand).

The theka of rupak is uncomfortably similar to pashtu tal. The only difference is that many musicians prefer to think of pashtu as consisting entirely of claps; while rupak tal begins with a wave of the hand.

The form of rupak is shown below:
CLAPPING/ WAVING ARRANGEMENT:wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2
NUMBER OF BEATS : 7
THEKA : Tin Tin Naa Dhin Naa Dhin Naa

by David Courtney, Ph.D