Jambati
Jam means group or tribe and possibly refers to the fact that it takes more than one person working at a time to make one of these large singing bowls. Jambati singing bowls are the largest and heaviest of the singing bowls ranging from7″ to 13″ wide and up to 6″ high. They are characterized by sloping sides, a small flat bottom and they often have inward facing lips. Tones range from very low to middle octave with the vast majority in the low octave. Jambati singing bowls were often used for relatively clean purposes such as grain storage so bowls hundreds of years old can have a high level of preservation. The jambati style, especially darker ones possibly indicating the presence of thunderbolt metal (iron), were preferred by Tibetans.
Thadobati
Thado means straight. Thadobati singing bowls are defined by relatively vertical sides and a flat bottom. Some Thadobati singing bowls are rounder then others however the most common ones have a bottom diameter only slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening. Thadonati singing bowls are relatively deep, up to 5″, while a 9″ diameter is about the largest size you will see in this style. Thadobati style may be the most ancient common singing bowl, with simple thick examples dating back well over 500 years. These thick old singing bowls will weigh more than a similar diameter Jambati singing bowl. Thadobati singing bowls usually have no discernible lip overhang and be quite thin from extensive abrasive cleaning over the centuries. Some Thadobati singing bowls come with interesting punched and etched decorative markings. You could say there are different sub-styles of Thadobati singing bowls based on recurrent marking patterns but there is no commonly accepted nomenclature to describe these styles. Singing bowls of this type range in tone over four octaves. Thick small Thadobati singing bowls can be very high while thinner large singing bowls are commonly in the low octave. The Thadobati style, especially those with a high copper content and a golden color were preferred by Nepalese.
Manipuri
Manipuri refers to Manipur, a place in India where possibly this style bowl originated. These singing bows have a rounded shape and bottom and rarely have any kind of lip. Manipuri singing bowls range from 3″ to 10″ and are much shorter than the other styles of singing bowls. They used to be the most common singing bowl but have become rarer in recent years. Manipuri were often used for cooking and eating. Some Manipuri have extensive engraving marks. Manipuri bowls are most commonly in the middle octave with bowls over 7″ often ringing in the low octave. These bowls can be deceptive with thin small examples having deeper tones than much larger ones.
Mani or Mundra
These rare singing bowls have thick walls, flat bottoms and are wider in the middlle than at the bottom or lip. Their inward slope is that of the classic begging bowl though they are much larger. Mani singing bowls have high tones and are very easy to play with a ringing stick. Decorative markings are standard though sometimes faint due to wear. Mani singing bowls generally are dated from the late 16th to the 18th century.
Lingham
Lingham refers to male principal. A lingham is a protrusion of metal in the center of a singing bowl. Lingham singing bowls can come in a distinct rounded style or the lingham feature can be incorporated into other bowl styles, especially Manipuri and Jambati. It would stand to reason that Lingham singing bowls were made for ritual purposes though many examples show evidence of common recent use. 
