Classical Dances in India

• The theory and practice of Indian classical

dance can be traced to the Sanskrit text
Natya Shastra.
• The Natya Shastra is a Sanskrit treatise on
the performing arts.
✓ It is attributed to sage Bharata Muni
✓ Composed between 200 BCE and 200 CE
✓ Natya Shastra is also known as the fifth
Veda Dancing Shiva sculpture in Badami
cave temples (6th -7th century CE)
Classical Dances in India
• Natya Shastra has clubbed musical instruments
into four groups:
1. Avanddha vadya (membranophones or
percussion instruments)- tabla, pakhawaj,
thavil, dhol and mridangam
2. Ghana vadya (idiophones or solid
instruments)- Manjira, Khartal, cymbals, etc
3. Sushira vadya (aerophone or windor hollow
instruments)- flute, shehnai, etc
4. Tata vadya (chordophone or stringed
instruments)- Veena, Sitar, etc
Classical Dances in India
• Nandikeshvara (5th - 4th century BC) was a major
theatrologist of ancient India.
✓ He was the author of the Abhinaya Darpana
✓ Abhinaya Darpanam is a Sanskrit treatise on
Indian classical dances detailing dance
movements and expressions.
Classical Dances in India
• The Sangeet Natak Academy recognizes eight
classical dances: Bharatanatyam, Kathak,
Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri
and Mohiniyattam.
✓ Ministry of Culture includes Chhau in its list.
Bharatanatyam, Tamil Nadu
• Bharatanatyam has grown out of the art of dancers
dedicated to temples.
✓ It was earlier known as Sadir or Dasi Attam.
✓ It is the first of India's traditional dances to be
refashioned as a theatre art.
• Format of a Bharatanatyam recital were created by
the famed ‘Tanjore Quartet’ of the 19th century:
Ponniah, Chinnaiah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu.
• Themes: human and divine love (shringar) and
Bhakti (devotion).
• The music of Bharatanatyam belongs to the
Carnatic system of southern India.
Bharatanatyam, Tamil Nadu
• Instruments used: mridangam, nadaswaram,
nattuvangam (cymbals), the flute, violin and veena.
• Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara is a main
source for body movement in Bharatnatyam.
• Bharatnatyam dance is known to be ekaharya,
where one dancer takes on many roles.
• E. Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale had Temple dancing was banned by the
British colonial government in 1910.
played a significant role in helping the dance regain
its lost popularity and position.
• Major dancers: Rukmini Devi Arundale, Padma
Subrahmanyam, Mallika Sarabhai (Kuchipudi and
Bharatanatyam), Yamini Krishnamurthy(Kuchipudi
and Bharatanatyam), Tanjore Balasaraswati, etc.
Manipuri Dance, Manipur
• Manipuri dance is anchored in the Vaishnava faith
of the Meiteis.
• The predominant theme of Manipuri dance is
devotion and the rich lore of Radha and Krishna.
• Manipuri dance is introverted and restrained
compared to most other dances of India- the artist
never establishes eye contact with the audience.
✓ Mudras or hand-gestures are subtle
✓ Facial expression is never exaggerated
✓ Footwork is never audible
Manipuri Dance, Manipur
• Jagoi and cholom are the two main divisions in
Manipur’s dance. One gentle and the other
vigorous- lasya and tandava elements
• The principal performers are the maibas and
maibis (priests and priestesses).
• Instruments: Pung (a barrel drum) and kartals
(cymbals)
✓ Nupa Pala (Kartal Cholom or Cymbal Dance)
Pung cholom
✓ Pung cholom
• Major dancers: Guru Bipin Singh (Govindji
Nartanalaya), Nirmala Mehta, Savita Mehta,
Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Yumlembam Gambhini
Devi, Darshana Jhaveri, etc
Manipuri Dance, Manipur
• Lai Haraoba of the Meitei people of Manipur-
• Meitei King Rajarshi Bhagyachandra (r. 1759–1798)
of Manipur adopted Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
• Codified the Manipuri dance style
• Ningthou Ching-Thang Khomba or Rajarshi
Bhagya Chandra or Jai Singh Maharaja
Kathak (Northern India)
• Kathak is the principal dance of northern India and is
widely practised in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi,
Madhya Pradesh, etc.
• The word Kathak is derived from the word Katha
which means a story.
• Kathakaras- epics Ramayana and Mahabharata,
and puranic literature, etc.
• Kathak evolved into a distinct mode of dance in the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread of
the Bhakti movement.
• Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak
was performed in the court.
Kathak (Northern India)
• Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last
Nawab of Awadh, it grew into a major art form.
• Three well-known gharanas (schools) of Kathak are
the Jaipur, Banaras and Lucknow.
• Major instruments are Tabla, Pakhawaj, Sarangi,
Sarod, Bansuri and Tanpura.

Sarangi

Pakhawaj

Tanpura
Kathak (Northern India)
• Prominent dancers include Shambhu Maharaj, Birju
Maharaj (Padma Vibhushan in 1986), Lachhu
Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Kumudini Lakhia, Kumari
kamala, etc

1953: Kamala was invited to

perform for Queen Elizabeth
II during her coronation
Odissi Dance, Odisha
• Odissi dance has its origins as a temple service by ‘maharis’
or female temple servants.
✓ Predominantly performed by women.
• The Vaishnava faith of Odisha is intrinsic to Odissi dance.
• Gotipua is a traditional dance form in the state of Odisha
and the precursor of Odissi classical dance
• The major subjects of performance are lores of incarnations
of Lord Vishnu and verses of Jayadeva’s (12th century) Gita
Govinda; (elements in sopana sangeetham and Guru
Granth Sahib).
Odissi Dance, Odisha
• Odissi incorporates two major postures - Tribhanga
(the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the
knees) and Chowk (a position imitating a square).
• Major instruments: mardala (a variant of pakhavaj),
tabla or mridangam, harmonium, bansuri, sitar,
and manjira (finger cymbals)
Odissi Dance, Odisha
• Odissi dance tradition has three schools: Mahari
(devadasis), Nartaki, and Gotipua (boys dressed
up as girls)
• Major performers:
✓ Kelucharan Mohapatra, Pankaj Charan Das,
Deba Prasad Das and Raghunath Dutta revived
Odissi in the
✓ Mayadhar Raut, Madhumita Raut, Ileana
Citaristi, Sonal Mansingh. etc
Kathakali, Kerala
• Kathakali took shape in Kerala in the 17th century
under the patronage of the prince of Karnataka.
✓ He wrote plays for performance from
Ramayana in Malayalam.
• Stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata
provide the content of most Kathakali plays.
• Kathakali is a harmonious combination of 5 forms
of fine art,
✓ Literature (Sahithyam), Music (Sangeetham),
Painting (Chithram), Acting (Natyam) and
Dance (Nritham)
Kathakali, Kerala
• Characters in Kathakali are broadly divided into,
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✓ Satvika- noble, heroic-Arjunan,
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✓ Rajasika- warriors- Ravana,
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~ Kamsa
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✓ and tamasika types.

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• The faces of actors are painted according to the

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type of character they represent – green for heroes,

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kings, and divinities, red and black for the evil and
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fierce, etc.
• [The actor’s performance in a Kathakali plays is

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completely speechless.
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Kathakali, Kerala
• Major instruments: Maddalam, Chenda, Idakka,
Chengila, Ilathalam, etc.
• Major performers:
✓ Guru Gopinath, Guru Kunju Kurup,
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,
Kalamandalam Gopi, Kottakkal Sivaraman,
Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri
Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair
and Vazhenkada Vijayan.
Mohiniattam, Kerala
• Mohiniyattam is the dance of Mohini, an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• References of Mohiniyattam can be found in,
✓ Vyavaharamala by Mazhamagalam Narayanan
Namputiri and in Ghoshayatra by Kunjan
Nambiar
• This was structured into the present day classical
format by the Travancore kings.
• The hand gestures, 24 in number, are mainly
adopted from Hastalakshana Deepika.
• Mohiniyattam includes music in the Carnatic style.
• The song is typically in Tamil-Malayalam-Sanskrit
hybrid called Manipravalam.
Mohiniattam, Kerala
• The dancers were called Nangachi or Tai Nangai
(one with beautiful hand), Dasi (servant), Tevitichi-
Deva-Adi-Achi (the one who served at the feet of
the lord), Koothachi (who performed koothu or
dance).
✓ Tevitichiyattam, Nangai Natakam and
Dasiyattam are the forms of Mohiniyattam
• It has elements of Bharatanatyam (grace &
elegance) and Kathakali (vigour) but is more erotic.
• Major instruments: Mridangam or Madhalam,
Idakka, flute, Veena, and Kuzhitalam (cymbals).
Mohiniattam, Kerala
• Major performers: Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty
Amma, Sunanda Nair, Jayaprabha Menon, Pallavi
Krishnan, Kanak Rele, etc.
Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh
• Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Krishna district
of Andhra Pradesh.
• It was known under the generic name of Yakshagaana.
• In 17th century Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana was
conceived by Siddhendra Yogi.
• The themes of Kuchipudi are often drawn from Hindu
mythology and scriptures.
• The solo items are,
✓ Manduka Shabdam (story of frog),
✓ Balgopala Tarangam (dance on the edges of brass
plate with a pitcher full of water on head), and
✓ Tala Chitra Nritya (drawing pictures with dancing
toes)
Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh
• Major musical instruments in Kuchipudi are mridangam,
cymbals, veena, flute and the tambura
• Major performers: Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam,
Vyjayanti Kashi, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Lakshmi
Narayan Shastri, etc.
Sattriya Dance, Assam
• Sattriya dance form was introduced in by the
Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam,
Sankaradeva.
✓ Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardev: 15th -16th
century figure in Bhakti movement in Assam.
✓ He is credited with devising new forms of
music (Borgeet), theatrical performance (Ankia
Naat, Bhaona), dance (Sattriya), literary
language (Brajavali).
• Origin of name: Association with the Sattras
(Vaishnava maths or monasteries)
Sattriya Dance, Assam
• This tradition, has two distinctly separate streams:
• Bhaona-related repertoire starting from the
Gayan-Bhayanar Nach to the Kharmanar Nach
• Independent dance numbers such as Chali,
Rajagharia Chali, Jhumura, Nadu Bhangi etc.
• In Assamese, generally Mati-Akhora means
exercise done on the ground. The Sattriya dance
training begins with these Mati-Akhoras.
• Musical instruments used in Sattriya: Khols or the
Drums, the Taals or the Cymbals and the Flute
Sattriya Dance, Assam
• Major dancers: Sharodi Saikia, Indira P. P. Bora,
Guru Jatin Goswami, Guru Ghanakanta Bora, etc
Chhau (Eastern India)
• The Chhau dance of Eastern India, Orissa,
Jharkhand, and West Bengal, is a blend of martial
traditions, temple rituals, and folk.
• Theme: episodes from the epics Mahabharata,
Ramayana, Puranas, traditional folklore, etc.
• It is found in three styles:
✓ the Purulia Chhau of West Bengal,
✓ the Seraikella Chhau of Jharkhand and
✓ the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha
• Chhau dance was added to UNESCO's
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Chhau (Eastern India)
• Masks are integral to the dances of Purulia and
Seraikella
• Major instruments: Mahuri (wind instrument),
Shehnai, Dhol (drum), etc.
• Major dancers: Guru Shashadhar Acharya, Guru
Shyama Charan Pati, Gopal Prasad Dubey, etc
Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO
Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO: 15 elements from India
• December 2023: 'Garba of Gujarat’ was inscribed in the Representative List of
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Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO.

Kutiyattam, Sanskrit Theater, 2008
• Origin: Sangam era
• Koodiyattam (combined acting): combines
Sanskrit theatre performance with elements of
koothu
• Kutiyattam is a Sanskrit theatre practised in Kerala
• Originating more than 2,000 years ago, it is one of
India’s oldest living theatrical traditions.
• Neta abhinaya (eye expression) and hasta
abhinaya (gestures) are prominent.
Kutiyattam, Sanskrit Theater, 2008
• Major instruments: mizhavu, kuzhitalam, edakka,
kurumkuzhal, and sankhu.
• Major performers: Ammanur Madhava Chakyar,
Mani Madhava Chakyar, Kalamandalam Girija, etc.
Tradition of Vedic Chanting, 2008

O
• The Vedas comprise a vast corpus of Sanskrit
·
- and ritual I
[poetry, philosophical dialogue, myth, -

incantations developed and composed over 3500

years ago.

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• Comprising four main texts- the Rig Veda, Sama
Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda- they were
traditionally chanted during rituals and daily life in
Vedic communities.
• The Vedas embody one of the world’s oldest
surviving cultural traditions.
• Only thirteen of the original over one thousand
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Vedic recitation branches survive today

Ramlila, 2008
• Ramlila, a performance of Ramayana, include
song, narration, recital and dialogue.
• It recalls the battle between Rama and Ravana and
consists of a series of dialogues between gods,
sages, etc.
• It is performed across northern India during the
festival of Dussehra.
• The most representative Ramlilas are those of
Ayodhya, Benares, Madhubani, etc.
• This staging of the Ramayana is based on the
Ramcharitmanas which was composed by
Tulsidas in the 16th century AD.
Ramman, 2009
UK
Religious Festival and Ritual Theatre of the Garhwal ④
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Himalayas
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• An annual religious festival held in late April in

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Saloor-Dungra, Uttarakhand, dedicated to
Bhumiyal Devta, a local deity.
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• The festival features [

complex rituals including
recitations of the epic of Rama,
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legends,
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songs,
and masked dances.
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Chhau Dance, 2009
• Chhau dance enacts episodes from epics
including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local
folklore and abstract themes.
• Its three distinct styles hail from the regions of,
✓ Seraikella (Jharkhand),
✓ Purulia (West Bengal) and
✓ Mayurbhanj (Odisha), the first two using
masks.
Kalbelia Folk Songs and Dances of Rajasthan, 2010
• Kalbelia were once professional snake handlers.
• Women in flowing black skirts dance replicating
the movements of a serpent.
• Men accompany them on the khanjari percussion
instrument and the poongi, instrument traditionally
played to capture snakes.
• The dancers wear traditional tattoo designs,
jewellery and garments richly embroidered with
small mirrors and silver thread.
Mudiyettu, 2010
Ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala
• Mudiyettu is a ritual dance drama from Kerala
depicting the battle between goddess Kali and
the demon Darika.
• Mudiyettu performers draw a huge image of
goddess Kali, called as kalam.
• Held annually at Bhagavati Kavus temples
across different villages.
• Instruments: chenda, idakka, ilathalam, etc.
• Major performer: Keezhillam Unnikrishnan
Buddhist chanting of Ladakh, 2012
Recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-
Himalayan Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir
• In Ladakh, Buddhist lamas perform sacred chanting
rooted in Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
• It is practiced across four major sects: Nyngma,
Kagyud, Shakya, and Geluk.
• Chants are conducted in groups, accompanied by
symbolic gestures (mudras) and traditional
instruments like bells and drums.
Sankirtana, 2013
Ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur
• Sankirtana mark religious occasions and various
stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the
Manipur.
• Performers narrate the lives and deeds of Krishna
through song and dance.
• Major instruments: Pung (drum), Kartal (cymbal),
etc
Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making
among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, 2014
• The craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru
constitutes the traditional technique of
manufacturing brass and copper utensils in Punjab.
• Heating the plates while hammering and curving
them into different shapes requires careful
temperature control, which is achieved by using tiny
wood-fired stoves (aided by hand-held bellows)
buried in the earth. Utensils are manually finished
by polishing with traditional materials such as sand
and tamarind juice.
Nowruz, 2016
• Navroz is the new year celebrations for Parsis
(Zoroastrians).
• It is celebrated on 21st March every year in
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
• Families gather around a decorated table
symbolizing purity and prosperity to share special
meals.
Yoga, 2016
• Yoga consists of a series of poses, meditation, controlled
breathing, word chanting and other techniques designed to
help individuals build self-realization.
• Traditionally, yoga was transmitted using the Guru-Shishya
model (master-pupil) with yoga gurus as the main
custodians of associated knowledge.
• International Day of Yoga (sinceC
m e n
2014): June 21
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Kumbh Mela, 2017
• Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful congregation of
pilgrims on earth.
• The festival is held at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain
and Nasik every four years by rotation.
✓ The Purna Kumbh Mela occurs every 12 years at
a given site.
✓ The Ardh Kumbh Mela occurs approximately
every 6 years between the two Purna Kumbha
Melas at Prayagraj and Haridwar.
• Devotees believe that by bathing in the Ganges one
is freed from sins liberating her/him from the cycle
of birth and death.
Durga Puja in Kolkata, 2021
• Durga Puja is an annual festival celebrated primarily
in Kolkata and other parts of India, dedicated to the
worship of goddess Durga.
• The festival culminates with the immersion of these
images in the Ganga River.
Garba of Gujarat, 2023
• Garba is a traditional dance performed during the
Hindu festival of Navaratri, worshiping feminine
energy or ‘Shakti’.
• Dancers encircle a lit earthenware pot or an image
of the goddess Amba, moving counter-clockwise
with simple steps, clapping and singing in unison.
Folk Dances of India
Folk Dances of India
Folk Dances of India