Origin of Bharatanatyam

This is a very popular dance form in South India. It is oldest of all classical dance forms in India. Dance of mind
& soul. It is extremely traditional and known for its grace, purity, tenderness, staturesque & sculpturesque poses.
It uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness. The dancer is considered as a
worshiper, worshiper of the Divine. An embodiment of beauty, charm and gracefulness.

The general interpretation for the name is Bhava(expression) + Raga (music) + TAla(rhythm) + NATYAM(dance) = Bharatanatyam

Origin of Bharatanatyam
The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man
to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda,
Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the
Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa
(sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.

After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great,
comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.Bharatanatyam might
have got its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.

There is also another story which says that Godess Parvathi tought this dance form to Usha, daughter of
Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place.
Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.

In Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by
Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts
his violent nature as the distructor of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and
performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. There are 7 types of Tandava. Namely Ananda Tandava,
Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava.
There are few people who believa that there are 16 types of Tandava. Tandava has vigourous, brisk movements.
The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and
sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava. Lasya has 2 kinds. Jarita Lasya and Yauvaka Lasya.

The art form has definitely gone through lot of changes over the years. In olden days it was performed mostly
by female artists. They were called Devadasis, who would perform in the temples. These devadasis were accomplished artists who would sing, dance, play many instruments. They were well worsed in sanskrit & other languages which
helped them to interpret compositions which they would perform. But this tradition came to an end as the
devadasis lost their position in the society.


Then dance entered the royal courts. Here the artists called Rajanartakis, performed in the courts of kings
who gave them shelter.Even these were accomplished artists like devadasis.

The next well-documented period of dance history is far more recent. In the first half of the 19th century the
dance tradition was revitalized and defined anew through the contributions of four talented brothers (known today
as the Tanjore Quartet)Chinniah, Sivanandam, Ponniah and Vadivelu. By coordinating their diverse talents, the
four managed to organize all the basic dance movements of pure dance into a progressive series of lessons
[adavu chapters]. Each adavu (basic unit of motion) was taught in systematic order and then combined with
others to produce choreographed sequences based upon the rhythmic contour of a musical composition
(Krishnamoorthy Pillai). In addition the brothers composed new music specifically for the dance, and introduced
a different sequence of items which integrated the various aspects of dance and music into a carefully
coordinated, aesthetically sound progression. This infusion of creative energy marks the early 19th century
as one of the most innovative periods in the history of Indian dance.

The contribution of Udayshankar, Rukminidevi Arundale and Balasaraswathi, in the 20th century, cannot be
forgotten at this juncture.

Even though Bharatanatyam has gone through lot of changes, it still has its roots deep into the religious and rich
mythological heritage of India. In the modern day scenario it is performed by both male & female artists. Many
learn as a hobby and few make it as a profession. Whether taken as a hobby or a profession it certainly needs
lot of practice,concentration and dedication.


About Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is evenly divided between three elements Nritta, Nritya and Natya .

Nritta : Rhythmic Element.Interprits the language of rhythm with the help of body movements.

Nritya : Combination of Rhythm with Expression.Conveys poetic meaning with the help of expressions,
rhythmic gaites and postures. eg. Varna, Shabda, Pada etc.

Natya : Dramatic Element.Performing for a theme like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc.

Nritta
Nritta can be broadly divided into Chari, Karana, Angahara and Mandala. Movement of a leg is called Chari.
Movement of both the legs is Karana. 3 Karanas make a Khanda. 3 to 4 Khandas make a Mandala. 4 to 9
Karanas make a Angahara. 4 to 5 Angaharas also make a Mandala. 108 Karanas and 32 Angaharas are defined
in Natyashatra. The 13 Nritta Hastas (explained later) are used to perform nritta. The rythmic body movements
along with hand gestures are called Aduvus. Number of aduvus constitute a Jati. Jati will generally end with a Muktaya or Teermana.
There are varieties of Aduvus like

• Tattaduvu
• Mettaduvu
• Nataduvu
• Kattaduvu
• Kudittamettaduvu
• Maiaduvu
• Mandiaduvu
• Jati
• Nadai
• Ardi

There are 12 aduvus in each of the above explained. Hence 120 aduvus exist in total. Only about 70 - 80 are
in practice. The aduvus are more or less Karanas. Hence can be concluded that there are 108 aduvus. The 108
Karanas or Aduvus are carved in the Chidambaram Temple in Tanjore, Tamilnadu, India. To perform an aduvu
aramandi, bending of the knees is very very important.

The entire body is divided as Anga, Pratyanga and Upaanga.
Anga
Anganyatra shirohastau vaksha paarshwakateetatau
Paadaviti shaduktaani greevamapyapare jaguhu
Head, Hands, Chest, Waist, Bottom, Legs are the Six Angas. Some people include Neck also.

Pratyanga
Pratyangaani twathaskandhau baahoo prushtam tathodaram
ooroo janghe shadityahurapare manibandhakau
jaanooneekoorparamiti trayamapyadhikam jaguhu
Shoulders, Arms, Stomuch, thighs, Knee are the Six Pratyangas. Some people include Wrist, elbow and Ankle also.

Upaanga
Drushtibhrooputatarashcha kapolau naasikaahanuhu
Adharodashanaa jihwaa chubukam vadanam tatha
Upaangani dwadashitaanyanyaanyangaani santi cha
Paarshnee gulbautathangulyaa karayoho padayostale
Sight, Eyebrow, Eye lids, Eye balls, Cheeks, Nose, Gums, Lower Lip, Teeth, Tongue, Chin and Face are the 12 Upaangas. Few people include Heels, Fingers, Feet, Palm also into upaangas.
Pratynaga and Upaangas should move along with the Angas.
Anga Lakshana, the way of moving body parts, are described below.

• Shirobhedha - Head Movement
• Greevabhedha - Neck Movement
• Drushtibhedha - Eye Movement
• Paadabhedha
o Mandala - Standing Posture
o Utplavana - Leaps
o Bhramari - Circling Movement
o Chari - Leg Movement
• Gatibhedha - Charecteristic walks and
• Hastas or Mudras - Hand Movements
o Asamyuta Hasta
o Samyuta Hasta
o Deva Hasta
o Dashavatara Hasta
o Navagraha Hasta
o Jaati Hasta
o Bandhu Hasta
o Nritta Hasta



When all Angas(main body parts) coordinate (along with pratyanga and upaanga) the artist is said to have
Angashudhi. Anga meaning body parts and shudhi, meaning perfect. Any dancer should try to achive this perfection. The Natyashastra, which talks about all aspects of Bharatanatyam, quotes shlokas to perform all the above
movements. All the above said movements are dealt in detail in the respective links.

Aspects of Abhinaya

The expressions which are shown to express poetic meanings is Abinaya. Here the emphasis is more on
facial expressions than rhythmic movements. The Abinaya is divided as
• Angikabhinaya
• Vachikabhinaya
• Aharyabhinaya
• Satvikabhinaya

Angikabhinaya : Expressing the meanings of lyrics using the body parts like Head, Hands, Legs etc. is
Angikabhinaya. The Bhedas which i have explained above come under Angikabhinaya.
Vachikabhinaya : Expressing the Story using narrations in the dance drama is Vachikabhinaya.
Aharyabhinaya : Imitating the Costumes, Jewellary, Make-up etc. in a dance comes under Aharyabhinaya.
Satvikabhinaya :Showing the Bhava(moods) come under Satvikabhinaya.

Lord Shiva is praised as the embodiment of the above 4 types of abinaya in this following shloka.

Angikam bhuvanam yasya
Vachicam sarva vangmayam
Aharyam chandra taradi
tam vande satvikam shivam.

Meaning for the above shloka is

We bow to Him the benevolent One
Whose limbs are the world,
Whose song and poetry are the essence of all language,
Whose costume is the moon and the stars..."

In Lord Shiva's well-known pose of NATARAJA,
his right hand holds the drum of creation - symbolising a new awakening
his left hand holds fire - representing destruction of the old order
his other right hand is raised in blessing
the other left hand points to his left foot, which has crushed demon Muyalaka - representing ignorance.

There are nine main or primary emotions, Sthayibhavas. It is also termed as Rasa(Mood).


• Shringara - Love
• Hasya - Mirth
• Veera - Heroism
• Roudra - Anger
• Bhayanaka - Terror
• Bheebatsa - Disgust
• Adbhuta - Wonder
• Karuna - Compassion
• Shanta - Tranquility


Vatsalya(Parental fondling) rasa is also sometimes included as one of the stayibhava.
Vibhava (cause of emotion), Anubhava (effect of emotion) and Sanchari bhava (subordinate emotions) constitute
the state of rasa.

Now i would like to talk about Nayika(the Heroine) and Nayaka (the Hero) bhavas.

The Nayika Bhava

The shastras have classified the basic mental status of woman, the Nayika, into Eight divisions, called
Ashtanayika bhavas. These divisions portray the heroine in different situations, express different feelings,
sentiments & reactions.
The Ashtanayika bhava are
• Abhisarika
• Kalahantarika
• Khandita
• Proshitapathika
• Swadheenapathika
• Vasakasajjika
• Virahotkantita
• Vipralabda


Abhisarika - She is the one who boldly goes out to meet her lover.
Kalahantarika - She is the one who is repenting her hastiness in quarrelling with her lover, which has resulted
in their seperation.
Khandita - She is the one who is angry with her lover for causing dissapointment.
Proshitapathika - She is the one who is suffering in the absence of her beloved, who is away on a long journey.
Swadheenapathika - She is the one who is proud of her husband's or beloved's love and loyalty.
Vasakasajjika - She is the one who is preparing for the arrival of her beloved, by decorating herself and her
surroundings. to provide a pleasent welcome to her lover.
Virahotkantita - She is the one who is seperated from her lover & is yearning for reunion.
Vipralabda - She is the one who is dissapointed that her lover has not turned up at the tryst as he promised.

Other classifications of the Nayika bhava are
Mugdha - Inexperienced in love.
Madhya - Partly Experienced in love.
Pragalbha - Matured in the art of love.
This Pragalbha Nayika is further classified as
• Dheera
• Adheera
• Dheeraadheera
Sweeya - Married & faithful to her husband.
Parakeeya - Married but in love with another man.
Samanya - A free woman, who truly belongs to any man for a price.
Jyeshta - The preferred one.
Kanishta - The other woman.

Further classifications are
Uttama - Self-controlled & tolerant.
Madhyama - Literally the middle one, who gives as she gets.
Adhama - Literally the low one, who has no self restraint.

The Companion to the Nayika plays an important role in any padam, javali or Ashtapadi. This Companion is
the one to whom the Nayika will convey her feelings, she is the one who will take the message,if any, from the
nayika to the nayaka, she is the one who will sort out the differences between the nayika & the nayaka.
This companion is usuallly a girl who is close to the Nayika.
The classification of the Companion is as follows.
• Daasi - Servant
• Sakhi - Friend
• Kaaroo - Woman from a lower caste
• Chatriya - Step Sister
• Prativamshini - Neighbour
• Lindini - Saint
• Shilpani - Artist
• Swaa - Nayika herself as a messenger
The Nayaka Bhava
Just like the heroines, the moods and emotions of the hero are also classified into different divisions.
The main division is

• Dheerodaatta eg. Lord Rama
• Dheeroddhata eg. Demon Ravana
• Dheeralalita eg. Vatsaraaja
• Dheerashanta eg. Buddha

The other classification is
Pati - Married & faithful to his wife.
Upapati - Married but in love with another woman.
Vaisika - One who pays & enjoys women.

Further Nayaka classifications
Anukoola - Faithful to the Woman. eg. Lord Rama
Dakshina - Loves all his wives or women. eg. Arjuna
Drishta - When rejected, pleads to be accepted by his woman. eg. Vaali
Shatha - The deceitful one. eg. Lord Krishna

Most of the ashtanayika bhavas are experienced by the Nayaka also though the depiction of ashtanayika is
more than the nayaka.
Nayaka's Companion plays an important role too. This companian is categorised as
• Peetamardhana
• Vita
• Cheta
• Vidooshaka


Arangetram

Arangetram is a tamil word.Aranga meaning raised floor and Etram meaning climbing in Tamil,one of the south
indian languages. It is also called Rangapravesha in Kannada, another south indian language, Ranga meaning
Stage and Pravesha meaning Enter. Ideally this should be the first public performance of an artist. After learning
bharatanatyam under the guidance of an accomplished guru, this is the occation for the proud guru to present
his/her deciple to the public. This is the testing time for both the guru & the shishya(deciple) as the guru's
knowledge & the deciple's talent both are judged by the public. Hence, the guru will decide when the deciple is
ready for public appearence. Atleast 10 - 12 years of training is necessary to give a comendable performance.

This arangetram was known as Gejjepooje in old mysore district, meaning worshiping the jingles in kannada, a
south indian language.For a dancer, jingles are considered devine. In olden days, deciples were not allowed to
wear jingles till their first public performance. In their first performance, they were made to worship the jingles,
wear them & then perform.
Accompaniments play a major role in the making of a memorable dance performance.Basic accompaniments are
a Singer, Mridangam player, Violin player and ofcource the Natuvanga. Veena,Flute and other instruments are
optional. These people sit in the corner of a stage or in a place in front of the stage which will be in a lower
level than that of the stage.
The artist will wear lot of jewellery, make-up and a specially stitched dress. Jingles are a must.
Usually duration of an arangetram will be 2 1/2 - 3 hours. To perform for such long hours one must have good
stamina and concentration. This time is divided into two halves.

In the first half the artists generally perform

• Pushpanjali or Alaripu
• Jatiswara
• Shabda
• Varna

In the second half

• Padam
• Ashtapadi or Devaranama
• Tillana
• Mangala

Pushpanjali
This is an item where the artist salutes to god, guru and the audience. This item is a warmup item where the
artist prepares the body for the next few hours of vigorous performance.

Alaripu
This is a tamil word.Alar meaning to bloom. It comprises of set of movements without any meaning or expression.
The movements are performed for syllables set for a beat(Tala). The complexity of the movements gradually
increase. The steps are so formed that it looks like a bud blooming into a flower. This is also a warmup piece to
prepare the body for the next few hours of performance. Eventhough there is no meaning, this can also be
considered as an item where the artist salutes god,guru and the audience.

Jatiswaram
This is also an item where the movements will not convey any meaning or theme. Here the steps are more
complex than the previous items. The composition can have amazing postures and teermanas or muktayas
(ending of a jati). This is a musical composition set to a raga unlike alaripu which has only syllables.

Shabda
This is a dance item with both nritta & abinaya. Usually the theme of the lyrics will be devotional like praising
lord krishna, depicting lord krishna's childhood , praising a king etc.The movements here are leisurely.

Varna
This is the item where the dancers are tested for their capacity to perform abinaya & nritta. This can be treated
as a benchmark to judge the artist's talent.The item will contain many complex steps and will have lot of room for
expressions also. To perform this item one should have lot of stamina & concentration. The lyrics can be devotional, praising a king etc. Varna can also have shrigara rasa as its theme.

Padam
In this dance item the dancer's abhinaya is put into test. It narrates expression of divine love or pangs of
seperation in love. The tempo is slow and the performance is based on a specific mood of love.Padams will
have Nayaka(Hero, Supreme lover, Divine Lord)& Nayika(Heroine, the yearning soul). Heroine will talk to her
friend(sakhi) and narrate her feelings towards her hero. The lyrics can be about how the hero has betrayed,
how he has delayed the arrival, how she is angry with her beloved hero etc.
Ashtapadi
These are poet Jayadeva's Sanskrit compositions called Geetagovinda, an extremely romantic composition.
It describes the love of Krishna and Radha in twelve cantos containing 24 songs. The songs are sung by Krishna
or Radha or by Radha's maid. Each Canto is named differently considering Krishna's status of mind.

• Saamodadamodara - Joyful Krishna
• Aakleshakeshava - Careless Krishna
• Mugdhamadhusoodhana - Bewildered Krishna
• Snigdhamadhusoodhana - Tender Krishna
• Saakankshapundareekaksha - Longing Krishna
• Kuntavaikunta - Indolent Krishna
• Naagaranaaraayana - Cunning Krishna
• Vilakshalakshmeepatihi - Abashed Krishna
• Mandamukunda - Languishing Krishna
• Chaturachaturbhuja - Intellegent Krishna
• Saanandadamodara - Blissful Krishna
• Supreetapeetambara - Ecstatic Krishna
Expressions are given foremost importance while performing these poems. Needs lot of grace. The artist
should be mature enough to understand the lyrics and the situation to show the rasas.

Devaranama
This item is a devotional piece where the lyrics are in praise of god, describing the god etc. This is a pure abhinaya
item with almost no emphasis on nritta. Usually the lyrics are in Kannada. These songs are the compositions of
great mystics like Purandharadaasa, Kanakadaasa, Vijayadaasa, Vyasaraaja to name a few. The compositions are
popularly known as Daasa Sahitya. It is a devotional literatures written in simple language understood by common man. It has made remarkable contribution to the spiritual and cultural upliftment of people by preaching phylosophy of Love, Devotion and Peaceful Co-Existance.

Tillana
This is usually the last item in any bharatanatyam performance. Tillana is full of complicated movements &
postures. This will also have complicated Muktayas or Sholkattu, ending of any step or aduvu. This is mainly a
nritta piece which might have a charana, a meaningfull lyrics for which abinaya is shown.

Mangala
Meaning ending the performance. Here the artist will again salute god, guru & the audience for making the
performance a success.