Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest forms of Indian traditional dance, probably more than 2000 years older. It is the most popular of all the forms of classical Indian dance and is still practiced widely today. Bharatanatyam is a form of dramatic classical dance that depicts the mythological themes of India’s epic epics, the Mahabharat. Bharatanatyam depicts the dance movements of a dancer or a puppet in a temple setting. It is also commonly known as Raaga, which is part of the same family of classical Indian dances.
Bharatanatyam, in the shape of a puppet theatre performance art, was first performed in the temples of Tamil Nadu at the turn of the century. It was then adopted by the sculptors of South India, who along with some other sculptors of that period created an entire genre on this theme. Over a period of time, Bharatanatyam moved from its original temple setting to various other temple settings, eventually becoming popular for its performances in large auditoriums. The performances were primarily arranged in honor of a deities who was being worshiped at the time.
Some of the more popular bharatanatyam performances are the ones that include dance movements that replicate the movements of the deities or other Hindu gods. These performances give the audience a moment to get to know the dancer a little bit more, as the performance is intended to educate every one in the subject. It is meant to thrill and enthrall the audiene.
The ancient theme of the Bharatanatyam dance is a divine one and is centered on the goddess Shivaand Vishnu. In Hinduism, Shiva and Vishnu are the king of Gods and are considered to be the foremost among all the deities. To the Hindu people, there is only one Supreme Being – Shiva. This Supreme Being is also known as the Shiva and is considered to be the chief protector of all the other gods and thus all the ritualistic practices that surround the festival are held to honor the Shiva. Specifically, the dance forms are performed to celebrate the grand celebration of Shravan, when the entire nation celebrates the defeat of the demon king Agares by the son of Shiva – Prince Bharat.
The bharatanatyam performance art has been around for nearly two thousand years. Though it was mostly performed in the temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, the dance itself was spread throughout the region and spread beyond the traditional areas. With the spread of the dance genre came the popularity of performing the dance outside the shrines, and this eventually became what we call today as Bharatanatyam. It is not surprising that, with time, the art has moved from temple to temple and became quite popular throughout the country.
Bhava is the term used to describe the dance form. Bhava means ‘blessing’ and is considered a primeval blessing from shiva (lord) himself. It is a ritualistic dance form that originated in the state of Maharasthra in Maharashtra. It is believed to have been inspired by the dance style of the royal kuldevta of lord Shiva, Patanjali. The purpose of performing have in temples is to invoke the supreme force, Shiva.
While the purpose of bhava in Maharasthra was mainly to invoke Shiva, south Indian dwellers have expanded the genre to include many different deities from different states in India, including Lord Ganesha, Parvati, Dakini and even Jesus Christ. Dressed in a sari, the female dancers perform a dance routine that is full of intricate movements and poses as well as breathing techniques. The music that accompanies the dances is a gentle one and has an local flavor.
Bharatanatyam is now seen all over the world and is often used to celebrate during the festival of Diwali in different parts of India as well as abroad. In fact, it is celebrated even more widely in America and is part of the holiday of Pongal. The popularity of bharatanatyam shows no signs of declining. It has even spread into Hollywood as it can be seen in movies such as Rajneeti and Kismet. Bharatanatyam has also reached the new heights in the last decade or so, as many contemporary performers come to take on the classical forms. These artists include Anish Kapoor, Deepika Padamsee and Ravi Verma.