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BHARATHANATYAM

Bharatanatyam is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and it expressed South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.

History & Evolution

According to the Hindu tradition the name of the dance form was derived by joining two words, ‘Bharata’ and Natyam’ where ‘Natyam in Sanskrit means dance and ‘Bharata’ is a mnemonic comprising ‘BHA’, ‘RA'and ‘ta’ which respectively means ‘bhava’ that is emotion and feelings; ‘raga’ that is melody; and ‘tala’ that is rhythm. Thus, traditionally the word refers to a dance form where bhava, raga, and tala are expressed. The theoretical base of this dance form, which is also referred to as Sadir, trace back to ancient Indian theatrologist and musicologist, Bharata Muni’s Sanskrit Hindu text on the performing arts called ‘Natya Shastra’. The text’s first complete version was presumably completed between 200 BCE to 200 CE, however, such timeframe also varies between 500 BCE and 500 CE. According to legends Lord Brahma revealed Bharatanatyam to the sage Bharata who then encoded this holy dance form in Natya Shastra. The text that consists of thousands of verses structured in different chapters divides dance into two specific forms, namely ‘nritta’ that is pure dance comprising of the finesse of hand movements and gestures, and ‘nritya’ that is a solo expressive dance that comprises of expressions. According to Russian scholar Natalia Lidova, ‘Natya Shastra’ elucidates several theories of Indian classical dances including that of Tandava dance, standing postures, basic steps, bhava, rasa, methods of acting and gestures.

One of the five great epics of Tamil Literature, ‘Silappatikaram’ (~2nd century CE) has a direct reference to this dance form. The Shiva temple of Kanchipuram that is decorated with carvings dating back to a period between 6th to 9th centuries CE manifests the development of this dance form by around the mid-first millennium CE. Many ancient Hindu temples are embellished with sculptures of Lord Shiva in Bharatanatyam dance poses. The eastern gopuram of the 12th century Thillai Natarajar Temple, Chidambaram, of Tamil Nadu dedicated to Lord Shiva bears sculptures depicting 108 poses of Bharatanatyam, referred as karanas in ‘Natya Shastra’, that are intricately carved in small rectangular panels. Another notable sculpture can be seen in the Cave 1 of Karnataka’s Badami cave temples dating back to the 7th century where a 5 feet tall sculpture of Lord Shiva is depicted as Nataraja doing Tandava dance. The 18 arms of the Shiva sculpture expresses mudras or hand gestures that are part of Bharatanatyam.

Association with Devadasi Culture

Originating in Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu and nearby regions, Bharatanatyam soon prospered in other South Indian temples. 

According to some sources, the Devadasi culture dating back to 300 BCE to 300 CE evolved under the auspices of the royals that saw the temple dancers called Devadasis, who were dedicated to serving the Lord as basis or servants, performing the dance form. Eventually, the Devadasi culture became an integral part of rituals in South Indian temples. Although ancient texts and sculptures indicate the existence of such culture and presence of dancing girls as also exclusive quarters for women in the temple compound, there is no concrete evidence either archaeological or text-based that can manifest the Devadasis as prostitutes or courtesans as accused by some colonial Indologists. After analyzing evidence, Davesh Soneji, a historian on performance arts and an expert on Bharatanatyam, concluded that the courtesan dancing phenomenon commenced during the Nayaka period of Tamil Nadu sometime around late 16th or 17th century.

MOHINIYATTAM

Mohiniattam or Mohiniyattam is an Indian classical dance form that evolved in the state of Kerala, India, and is counted among the two popular dance arts of the state, the other being Kathakali. Although its roots date back to the age-old Sanskrit Hindu text on performing arts called ‘Natya Shastra’, similar to other Indian classical dance forms, Mohiniattam adheres to the Lasya type that showcases a more graceful, gentle and feminine form of dancing. Mohiniattam derives its name from the word ‘Mohini’, a female avatar of Lord Vishnu. Conventionally a solo dance performed by female artists, it emotes a play through dancing and singing where the song is customarily in Manipravala which is a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam language and the recitation.

History & Evolution 

The theoretical foundation of this dance form like other major classical dance forms of India has its roots in sage Bharata Muni’s text called ‘Natya Shastra’, a Sanskrit Hindu text that deals with performing arts. The first complete version of ‘Natya Shastra’ is considered by some sources to have been completed between 200 BCE to 200 CE while some others mention the timeframe between 500 BCE and 500 CE. It breaks dance into two specific types, the first one being ‘nritta’ or pure dance that centers around finesse of hand movements and gestures, and the other being ‘nritya’ that features the expressive aspect of dance. ‘Natya Shastra’ elucidates several theories of Indian classical dances including on standing postures, basic steps, bhava, rasa, methods of acting and gestures as also two forms of dance – the Tandava dance of Lord Shiva that exhibits more vigor and vitality and the Lasya dance that is more delicate and graceful. The Lasya dance theme and structure is followed in Mohiniattam.

Mohiniattam evolved from the state of Kerala which also has an association with the old tradition of Lasya style of dancing. The temple sculptures of the state are the earliest manifestations of Mohiniattam or other dance forms similar to it. Mohiniattam poses are also palpable from the various feminine sculptures that adorn the 11th century Vishnu temple at Trikodithanam, and the Kidangur Subramanya temple. The Lasya theme was incorporated by Malayalam bards and playwrights, a fact evident from the text-based records starting from the 12th century. The 16th-century book titled ‘Vyavaharamala’ written by scholar, poet, author and astrologer Mazhamangalam Narayanan Namboodiri is the first known book that mentions the term Mohiniyattam in connection with a payment due to a Mohiniyattam dancer. While discussing various performing art forms of Kerala, renowned poet Kunchan Nambiar in his 17th-century book ‘Gosha Yatra’ mentioned about Mohiniyattam. By that time this dance form had emerged as one of the classical art forms of the state. The 18th century Sanskrit treatise ‘Balarama Bharatam’ on Natyam was written by the king of Travancore Karthika Thirunal Bala Rama Varma (considered to be significant secondary work on ‘Natya Shastra’) refers about ‘Mohino Natana’ among various other dance styles.

Mohiniattam developed further as a performing art during the 18th and 19th centuries, thanks to the patronage of several princely states. The initiation and patronage of the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore, Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, a poet and brilliant music composer himself, in the early 19th century, saw the development of a joint team of artists of two genres namely Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam. His contributions in the art form saw the eventual development and systematization of present-day Mohiniattam.

KUCHIPPUDI

Kuchipudi, a pre-eminent Indian classical dance form counted among ten leading classical dance forms of India, is a dance-drama performance art that originated in a village of Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Similar to all leading Indian classical dance forms, Kuchipudi too evolved as a religious art rooting back to the age-old Hindu Sanskrit text ‘Natya Shastra’ and connects traditionally with temples, spiritual faiths, and traveling bards. This ancient dance form finds a place in the 10th-century copper inscriptions and in 15th-century texts like ‘Machupalli Kaifat’. Traditionally it is regarded that the sannyasin of Advaita Vedanta sect, Tirtha Narayana Yati, and his disciple Siddhendra Yogi initiated, methodized and arranged the present-day version of the dance form in the 17th century. Usually, the performance repertoire of Kuchipudi that is broadly oriented on Lord Krishna and the tradition of Vaishnavism include an invocation, dharavu – short dance, nritta – pure dance and nritya – expressive dance respectively.

History & Evolution 

The theoretical foundation of Kuchipudi is rooted back to the ancient Sanskrit Hindu text on the performing arts called ‘Natya Shastra’ which is accredited to Indian theatrologist and musicologist Bharata Muni. It is assumed that the full version of the text was first completed between 200 BCE to 200 CE, but such a period also varies between 500 BCE and 500 CE. It incorporates verses in thousands that are structured in different chapters and divides dance into two distinct types that are ‘nrita’ that is pure technical dance and ‘nritya’ that is a solo expressive dance. ‘Natya Shastra’, states Russian scholar Natalia Lidova, explicates various Indian classical dance theories including that of standing postures, bhava, rasa, basic steps, methods of acting, gestures and Tandava dance, which is associated with Lord Shiva. Bharata Muni not only mentions the Andhra region in this ancient text but also attributes an elegant movement called ‘Kaishiki vritti’ and a raga called ‘Andhri’ to this region. The raga that is associated with ‘Arsabhi’ and ‘Gandhari’ also finds a place in several other Sanskrit texts dating back to the 1st millennium.

The 10th-century copper inscriptions validate the existence of Shaivism associated dance-drama performance acts called ‘Brahmana Melas’ or ‘Brahma Melas’ in regions of South India with Telugu speaking populace. Brahmins performed this art during the medieval era. Vaishnavism that traditionally includes Bhakti music and dance dedicated to Lord Krishna and evolved during the 2nd millennium presumably embraced this art form. It developed in South India’s Tamil region as ‘Bhagavata Mela Nataka’ and in Andhra region as Kuchipudi. Saskia Kersenboom mentions that both ‘Bhagavata Mela Nataka’ and Kuchipudi are closely related to the traditional theatre form of Karnataka called ‘Yakshagana’ and also incorporate Carnatic music like the latter, however, the three retain their uniqueness palpable from their varied costume, format, innovative ideas and perceptions. Again author Manohar Laxman Varadpande states that this form came up in the late 13th century during the reign of the Eastern Ganga dynasty of Kalinga, who patronized art forms based on works of famed Sanskrit poet Jayadeva, most notably the ‘Gita Govinda’. Such auspices of the monarch saw several dance-drama troupes and bards incorporating concepts based on Radha and Krishna in traditional Kuchipudi, which were locally called ‘Vaishnava Bhagavatulus’.

Tirtha Narayanayati, a composer of Carnatic music and a sannyasin of Advaita Vedanta (the oldest extant sub-school of Vedanta) and his orphan disciple Sidhyendra Yogi, a Telugu Brahmin, is accredited for initiating, methodizing and arranging the present-day version of Kuchipudi in the 17th century. Narayanayati penned down a tarangini or a Sanskrit opera called ‘Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini’. The composition deals with the life of Lord Krishna from His childhood till His marriage to Rukmini and encompasses 12 Tarangams and includes 302 slokas, 153 songs, and 31 choornikaas. Written as a libretto, this work apt for a dance drama has been performed by umpteen Indian classical dancers over the last two centuries. Sidhyendra Yogi followed his guru’s footsteps and wrote the play ‘Parijatapaharana’ also famous as ‘Bhama Kalapam’. Facing initial hardships in getting appropriate performers for his play he finally zeroed in on a group of young Brahmin boys belonging to his wife’s family village Kuchelapuram and was also granted permission by villagers to execute the play once annually. It is from this village, which is also known as Kuchilapuri, that the dance form derived its name as Kuchipudi. American born dancer Ragini Devi mentioned that the name of the village was deduced from the   Sanskrit word ‘Kusilava-Puram’ meaning of which is "the village of actors".