Indian classical dances are essentially gesture dance. The Natya Shastra by Rishi Bharata has prescribed the movements and usage of all major and minor limbs depicting various meanings and denoting the when and how to use these gestures to tell a story. In many cultures, including ours, the human body became an instrument of gesture […]
Bharatnatyam, the classical Indian dance form is so much more than merely a type of dance. Ever since its origin thousands of years ago it has also been a powerful medium of communication too. This is further reinforced when we try to trace the origin and history of Bharatnatyam. According to the Natya Shastra, the classical […]
In the Bharatnatyam dance form there exists a rich tradition of devotional pieces in praise of many God and Goddesses of the Hindu religion and mythology. As such there are many items dedicated to Lord Shiva, be it as a Kautubh, a Varnam or a Padam. Today we try to understand an often played Shloka […]
Utplavana is the Sanskrit word which means to spring or leap. Leaping becomes an important step for traversing the stage while performing or at times for conveying something dramatic too. In the theory of Bharatnatyam, the definition of various leaps is given by the Utplavana Bhedas. The shlokam of the Utplavana Bhedas is as follows: ‘Athotplavana […]
In our series of basic grammar of Bharatnatyam, Mandal Bhedas are the various ways of standing, as in straight with both feet together or on one foot and so on. The shloka for this is as follows: SHLOKAM “Sthaanakam chaayataalidham prenkhanapreritaani cha Pratyaalidham swastika cha motitam samasoochikaa Paarshwesoochiti cha dasha mandalaaniritaaneeha” Mandala Bhedas or standing postures with […]
In continuation of our series on hasta mudras today we talk of the hand gestures that are used to denote the planets. Navagraha Hasta is a combination of two words, Nav meaning nine and Graha meaning planet. As per ancient Hindu texts there are nine planets, Surya, Chandra, Mangal, Budh, Guru, Shurkra, Shani, Rahu and Ketu. The hasta mudras for each of these nine […]
In the Bharatnatyam dance tradition we portray mythological themes as well as everyday life as in stories of love or separation, seasons, bravery, kindness etc. The classical texts in this regard detail out almost all aspects of the contemporary life. One such example is the hands/mudras denoting the prevalent caste system which was actually closely […]
Using hand gestures to speak or convey is one of the most beautiful features of the Indian classical dance forms. Hand gestures that denote the relationships within the family are known as Baandhava Hasta, as explained in the texts of Bharatnatyam dance form. Dampati Hasta: Husband and Wife “Vaame tu shikharam dhritvaa dakshine mrigasheershakaha Dhritaha […]
Dasaavataram is a term often referred to as the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the god of preservation, in the Hindu tradition. Vishnu is said to descend in a new avatar to restore the cosmic order and eradicate evil on the earth through subsequent ages. InBharatnatyamdance form too it is often depicted and the classical […]
Hasta is the Sanskrit word for hand and Deva means God. So simply translated, the hand gestures which depict the Gods from the Hindu tradition are known as Deva Hasta. Each representation thus becomes unique to one particular God and becomes universal in most classical dance forms of India, such as a depiction of man with […]