Thillana is a rhythmic piece in Carnatic music

Carnatic music

Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...

, from which the Hindustani

Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...

 tarana

Tarana

Tarana is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words and syllables based on Persian and Arabic phenomes are used in a medium-paced or fast rendition...

 originated, generally performed at the end of a concert and widely used in dance performances. A thillana uses tala-like phrases in the pallavi

Pallavi

In Carnatic music pallavi is the thematic line of a song. It is usually one cycle long and repeated twice in order to give the percussionist the idea of the chosen taalam...

 and anupallavi

Anupallavi

In Carnatic music, the anupallavi comes after the pallavi and is usually the second section of any composition. It is then followed by one or more charanams. The anupallavi is optional. In such compositions pallavi is followed by one or more charanams....

, and lyrics in the charanam

Charanam

Charanam in Carnatic music is usually the end section of a composition which is sung after the anupallavi....

. This musical form was modified by the exponents off Hindustani music and assimilated into Hindustani music as the Tarana. The Tarana is a relatively recent development in Hindustani music.