Sattriya, also known as Sattriya Nritya or Sattriya Sakya, is an ancient Indian classical dance. It’s a dramatic dance drama art form, with ancient roots in the Krishna – centered Vaishnavism monastic communities of Assam and traced to the late 15th century Bhakti Movement scholar and sage Mahapurush Srimanta Sankarabadi. The dance takes its roots from the dance of the Vaiyas and Rajputs but adds a spiritual twist. This is the most popular dance form among the people of India and is a part of their cultural heritage. Most of the music of the Sattriya dance forms originates from classical dance forms of India like Kathakali, Marathi, and Raga.
The Sattriya dances are a unique blend of highly refined Indian classical dance and lip-smacking choreography. The skillful hand motions and expressive facial expressions are a result of rigorous training and years of study by these dancers. Sattriya is one of the oldest forms of Indian classical dances and has been around since the 16th century. The reason for the popularity of Sattriya is its ability to reflect life in its true colors. This is what makes the dances so powerful: they speak of sorrow, pain, love, desire, and despair, while at the same time exuding beauty, grace and mystery. These dances are known to be a great example of Indian art when it comes to its ability to convey feelings of longing, love, sorrow and pain.
The Sattriya dance style is considered to be one of the most significant dance styles present in Assam. It has a unique dance style, called “Rakshabandhan”. The dance style was originated from the reign of Ashoka the great and has been adapted and developed to suit different ethnic groups and different lifestyles. As a form of classical Indian dance, it displays a high level of skill, finesse and originality. It can be described as an amalgamation of various art forms such as Bharat Natyam, Mahabaleshwar, Manipuri Kathak, Karkaar, and Jannatai.