An Indian idiophonic instrument whose simplest form consists of a pair of small metal cymbals connected by a string. The cymbals may be made of bronze, brass, bell metal or copper zinc. Played as a handheld instrument, it is also known as karatala (kar meaning “hand” or “arm” and tala meaning “beat”) and is commonly used during performances of religious music such as bhajans or kirtans. It is also used as an accompaniment in performances of classical dances such as Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Mohiniattam.