Drut laya is the third and fastest of the principal Hindustani tempo categories. The Sanskrit term "drut" means "fast" or "rapid"; in Pakistani classical and qawwali contexts, the same tempo is often called **Durrat** (from Urdu/Arabic). Both refer to the same speed range — roughly 160 BPM and upward.
The drut section is where a major performance climaxes. After the meditative alap, the spacious vilambit bandish, and the moderately-paced madhya laya, the artist accelerates into the **chhota khayal** (small khayal, in drut tempo) or **Razakhani gat** (in instrumental music). The pace becomes electrifying: rapid taans cascade through the raag's full range, the tabla bols become a continuous shimmering pulse, and tihais multiply.
In Pakistani classical music — particularly in the Patiala gharana repertoire and in qawwali — the term **Durrat** is widely used in place of Drut. The two are functionally identical. Tarana, the syllabic vocal form attributed to Amir Khusrau, is almost always performed in drut/durrat tempo.
The closing minutes of a drut section are often the most thrilling in any concert. Sam (the first beat) becomes a repeated arrival point, each cycle's resolution greeted with audible audience reaction. The performance typically ends with an emphatic landing on sam after a final tihai or jhala.