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 […]
aking a turn while dancing is broadly what Bhramari can be understood as. Bhramari lakshanam in the classical texts thus describes the various flights. The shloka according to the Natyashastra is as follows: Bhramaryaa lakshanaam yatra vakshye Lakshanabhedataha Utplut bhramari chakra bhramari garudaabhidaa Tatha ek pada bhramari kunchitabhramari tathaa Aakash bhramari chaiva Tathaa-ang bhramareeti cha Bhramaryaha sapta […]
Similar to the types of neck movements or eye movements the types or walks or gaits also known as Chaari Bheda, are also documented in the Natya shastra. The shlokam for the chaari bheda is as follows: Athaatra chaaribhedaanaam lakshanam kathyate mayaa Aadou tu chalanam proktam prashchaacham kramanam tathaa Saranam vegini chaiva kuttanam cha tataha param […]
Lord Shiva also known as the Natraj or Nateshwar, the lord of dance, as cosmic ecstatic dancer is one of the central figures in the classical dance tradition of India. His divine dance is considered the source of creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe. However, contrary to popular belief, Shiva not only dances the vigorous and fierce Rudra […]
Natyasashtra, the exhaustive classical text of stagecraft in the classical dance tradition has detailed description of all possible characters. Earlier we have talked of The Nayak and the Nayika. Today we take up the friend or the Sakhi. The Ashtanayika always have a friend who helps them in dressing up, making arrangements for the Nayaka’s […]
We have spoken about the leading lady in the Indian Classical dances at length. Today I want to discuss the types of Hero or Nayak as explained in the classical texts. According to the Natyashastra, there are three categories of Nayakas: Uttama Nayaka – Pati (Uttama or Pathi) He is the one who is faithful […]
In my last blog I wrote about the 108 Karanas. Today in the same line of thought we talk about Angahaara. It is a movement consisting of a combination of 4, 6, 7, 8, or 9 karanas. One karana is made of 1 matrika, whereas, one angahaara is made of 2, 3 or 4 maatrikas. […]
Karana, a Sanskrit word which meaning ‘doing’ is basically transitions in the classical Indian dances. It is described in the Natyashastra as “hastapaada samaayogaah nrttsya karanam bhavet”. It is a combination of three elements, namely nritta hasta (dance movement of the hands), sthaana (a dance posture for the body) and a chaari (a dance movement of the […]
Carnatic music is the life and blood of Bharatnatyam dance form and Taalams are the backbone of Carnatic music. Also known as Taalantainmah, derived from the Sanskrit word tala which literally means a clap, it is basically the rhythmic pattern or repetition of any composition. In Carnatic music this regular repeated rhythmic phrase is primarily […]
Gati is a word which denotes the graceful gait enacted by the dancer in the Bharatnatyam dance. Gati Bhedas or the different types and speeds in walking as described in Abhinaya Darpanam, are ten in number. These are all based on the specific style of various living creatures, often used by the dancers to portray these creatures or convey […]