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I
THE EVERSION OF KATHAK
BY
AISHWARYA VASHISTHA Batch 2012-2014
Submitted to
National Institute of Fashion Technology
In Partial Fulfilment of the requirements
For the degree of
Master of Design
Department of Design Space
Faculty Guide- Ms. Susmita Das Pal
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II
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY
Mumbai
THE EVERSION OF KATHAK
By Aishwarya Vashistha
M. Design- 2014
Submitted by Ms. Aishwarya Vashistha to NIFT in partial
fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of Master in Design of National Institute of
Fashion Technology, at
Mumbai and hereby certify that in the judgement of the following
members of jury it is
worth of acceptance.
Name Institute/Organization Signature & Date
____________________________
______________________________________ _______________________
____________________________
______________________________________ _______________________
____________________________
______________________________________ _______________________
____________________________
______________________________________ _______________________
____________________________
______________________________________ _______________________
Remarks regarding fulfilling further requirements:
Signature of CC-Design Space: Date:
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III
The Eversion of Kathak
DECLARATION
I Aishwarya Vashistha hereby declare that the project titled The
Eversion of Kathak is
authentic and original and is the outcome of my contribution and
research. The project
was carried out under the guidance of Ms. Susmita Das Pal the
Post Graduate
Department of Design Space, Mumbai. No portion of this work has
been submitted in
support of an application for another degree or qualification to
National Institute of
Fashion Technology or any other University or professional
organization.
Signature of the Student:
Place: Mumbai
Date:
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IV
The Eversion of Kathak
ABSTRACT
The aim of this dissertation project is to do a descriptive
study of Kathak- An Indian classical
dance form that is one of the most popular, experimental and
widely accepted not only in
India but all over the world. This was accomplished through
qualitative methods of primary
and secondary data collection and analysis, namely in-depth
interviews and textual as well
as visual analysis of the history of the dance forms in various
aspects like costume, make-
ups, composition, dance movements, stage elements and textual
sources. An elaborative
historical research was done in many old libraries; visiting
places like Lucknow Kathak
Gharana, Pandit Birju Maharajs house etc.; photographing live
shows and interviewing
national and international performers, experts and teachers.
The study revealed amazing facts regarding Kathak elements which
are discussed in the
chapters further in detail. Also, many drawbacks are figured out
that are responsible for
making Kathak lose its traditional essence which could probably
one day make it entirely
different from what it was when it started. There are both pros
and cons of the innovations
happening worldwide. On one hand, where it is making Kathak
totally a new art form with
every new choreography and on the other hand there is no record
of its original elements
which is harming the dance form in a way.
The study concluded the problems of Kathak and the reasons
responsible for harming its
originality; consequences of which may be dangerous for Kathaks
traditional heritage. It
also suggests the solutions on which concerned people can work
on and take the research
forward by implementations of the identified solutions.
Keywords: Innovations Harm.
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PREFACE
India's cultural heritage dates back to 5000 years. Very few
countries in the world has a
social and religious structure which withstood invasions and
persecution and yet kept its
identity by being resilient enough to absorb, ignore or reject
all attempts to radically change
or destroy them. Indian culture is unique because of its
diversity and variety in physical,
religious, racial, linguistic and artistic fields. In India
religion is a way of life being an integral
part of Indian tradition. Many dances, theatrics and folklore
are religious and based on
Indian mythology and folk legends. One has to have background
knowledge of Indian
mythology to enjoy and appreciate the Indian Arts.
My study also began by talking and researching about Indian
heritage and somehow started
dealing with Katha (story telling) and its various kinds of
traditions - Purana-Pravachana,
Kathakalakshepa and Folk traditions. The story telling
traditions that are still living by
keeping the prestigious cultural heritage of India still alive
like Pandavani, Yakshagana,
Nangiar Koothu, Kaavad, Baul, Kathakali and Kathak are all so
popular, interesting and have
a wide history of themselves. While Kathakali fascinated
strongly due to its colourful
costume and make up, similarly, Kathak had its attraction in its
simplicity and soberness
which was leading me towards a detailed comparative study of the
two.
As per the suggestions from the panel in the mid jury, the focus
was finally shifted only to
Kathak. As each of the Indian dance form has its amazing history
and Kathak is a North
Indian dance form that has not only gone through hundreds of
innovations but also survived
during the foreign invasions of the country. It has now reached
a level that is completely
different from what it was when it started. It kept living,
going through ups and downs,
facing challenges, criticism and appreciation but still
lived.
This implies how strong an Indian art form can be that instead
of all the interference it is still
one of the favourite dance forms that have not only gained
national encouragement but
also international platform to maintain its individuality.
Therefore, the main purpose of study is the evolution of Kathak
through the years and the
innovations that have taken place from past to present in terms
of costumes, stage props,
compositions and many other possible aspects.
- Aishwarya
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VI
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would not have been able to complete my Dissertation Project
without the kind support
and help of many individuals and organizations. I would like to
extend my sincere thanks to
all of them.
I am highly indebted to my mentor Ms. Susmita Das Pal for her
guidance and constant
supervision towards my Project. I would like to thank our course
co-ordinator Ms. Disha
Gupta for providing necessary information and guidelines
regarding the project and Mr.
Nitin Kulkarni and Ms. Rebecca Phillip also for their support in
deciding my topic for
Dissertation.
I would like to express my gratitude towards my Family and
friends for their encouragement
and moral support which helped me in completion of this
project.
I would like to express my special gratitude to Ms. Shruti
Sadolikar (Vice chancellor-
Bhatkhande University) for granting me permission to access the
library and Ms. Veena
Singh, Pandit Arjun Mishra, Pandit Anuj Mishra, Padmshree
Shovana Narayan, Rameshwari
Jee for their kind co-operation in helping me with the project
and for giving me such
attention and time.
My thanks and appreciations also go to my teachers in developing
the project and people
who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.
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VII
CHAPTER 1 1
1.1 BACKGROUND 1
1.2 OBJECTIVES 2
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 2
1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3
CHAPTER 2 4
2.1 INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN CLASSICAL ART 4
2.2 KATHAK- THE INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE FORM 8
2.2.1 KATHAK-THE NAME 8
2.2.2 HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT 9
2.2.3 THE NAUTCH 13
2.3 KATHAK GHARANAS 15
2.4 ELEMENTS OF KATHAK 22
2.4.1 HISTORY OF KATHAK COSTUMES 22
2.4.2 CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES AND MAKE-UPS 31
2.4.3 COMPOSITIONS 33
2.4.4 KRISHNA CUSTOMS IN KATHAK 34
2.5 COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF KATHAK 37
2.6 TEXTUAL SOURCES OF KATHAK 41
2.7 PROMINENT KATHAK ARTISTS 49
CHAPTER 3 54
3.1 KATHAK IN BOLLYWOOD 54
3.2 INNOVATIONS IN KATHAK: THEIR CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES 56
3.3 OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 57
3.4 INTERVIEWS 58
3.4 CONCLUSION 60
3.4 LIMITATIONS 62
3.5 STRENGTHS 62
BIBLIOGRAPHY 63
GLOSSARY 65
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VIII
TABLE OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 INDIA, MUGHAL PERIOD, C.1675, 11
FIGURE 2 THE INSIDE VIEW-1 16
FIGURE 3 THE INSIDE VIEW-2 16
FIGURE 4 THE BACK VIEW 17
FIGURE 5 THE FRONT GATE VIEW 17
FIGURE 6 BHARAT DURING RAMAYANA TIMES 22
FIGURE 7: GANDHAR BUDDHA 2ND CENTURY B.C; TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
22
FIGURE 8 THE MAURYAN EMPIRE 23
FIGURE 9- THE DIDARGANJ YAKSHI 23
FIGURE 10 3RD CENTURY B.C. 24
FIGURE 11 A STYLISTIC FEMALE ANTARIYA 24
FIGURE 12 3RD CENTURY B.C. 24
FIGURE 13- COMPARING COSTUMES 24
FIGURE 14- COMPARING COSTUMES 24
FIGURE 15 KUSHAN EMPIRE 25
FIGURE 16 COSTUME CATEGORIES DURING KUSHAN KINGDOM 26
FIGURE 17 1ST CENTURY A.D. - KUSHAN PERIOD COSTUMES; KANISHKA
(FROM THE WARRIOR CLASS) 26
FIGURE 18 PERSIAN CLOTHING 27
FIGURE 19 PERSIAN CAPS AND GARMENTS 27
FIGURE 20 GUPTA EMPIRE 27
FIGURE 21 5TH CENTURY A.D. GUPTA PERIOD- DEOGARH 28
FIGURE 22 GUPTA PERIOD SCULPTURES DEPICTING SIDE SLIT KURTA AND
CHURIDAR/PYJAMA 28
FIGURE 23 GUPTA PERIOD SCULPTURE DEPICTING KURTA -5THCENTURY
AD-DEOGARH 28
FIGURE 24 GUPTA PERIOD -5TH CENTURY AD DEPICTING LEHENGA-CHOLI,
DUPATTA AND DHOTI -BIKANER 28
FIGURE 25 MUGHAL KINGDOM 29
FIGURE 26 KATHAK DANCE IN FRONT OF BADSHAAH DAARASHIKOH 30
FIGURE 27 TAMASHA OF BHAAT AND NAT 30
FIGURE 28 ANARKALI-CHURIDAAR 31
FIGURE 29 LEHENGA, CHOLI, DUPATTA 31
FIGURE 30 ANARKALI-CHURIDAAR 31
FIGURE 31 SAREE 31
FIGURE 32 DIFFERENT STYLES OF MEN'S KATHAK COSTUME 32
FIGURE 33 PANDIT ANUJ MISHRA IN MUGHAL CHARACTER 33
FIGURE 34 PANDIT ANUJ MISHRA AS KRISHNA & NEHA SINGH AS
RADHA 35
FIGURE 35 PAINTING DEPICTING RAAS LEELA 37
FIGURE 36 AN ARTIST PERFORMING BHARATNATYAM 38
FIGURE 37 FOLK DANCES OF INDIA 40
FIGURE 38 NATYASHAALA (STAGE CONCEPT): NATYASHASTRA 45
FIGURE 39- MAHARAJ BINDADEEN 49
FIGURE 40- PANDIT SHAMBHOO MAHARAJ 50
FIGURE 41- MS. SHOVANA NARAYAN 50
FIGURE 42 -PANDIT ANUJ MISHRA 51
FIGURE 43- PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ 52
FIGURE 44 MEENA KUMARI IN PAKEEZAH 54
FIGURE 45 VAIJANTIMAALA IN DEVDAAS 54
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IX
FIGURE 46 MADHUBAALA IN MUGHAL-E-AZAM 54
FIGURE 47 MADHURI DIKSHIT IN DEVDAAS 55
FIGURE 48 KANGANA RANAUT IN RAJJO 55
FIGURE 49 KAREENA KAPOOR IN AGENT VINOD 55
FIGURE 50 MANJIRI CHATURVEDI PERFORMING SUFI-KATHAK 56
FIGURE 51 AN ARTIST PERFORMING KATHAK-YOGA 56
FIGURE 52 KATHAK MAESTRO PANDIT CHITRESH DAS AND TAP DANCER
JASON SAMUELS SMITH 57
FIGURE 53 PANDIT ANUJ MISHRA 58
FIGURE 54 PANDIT ARJUN MISHRA 58
FIGURE 55 MS. SHOVANA NARAYAN 59
FIGURE 56 MR. SURENDRA SAIKIYA 59
FIGURE 57 MS. VEENA SINGH 59
FIGURE 58 MS. RASHMEE 59
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1 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The classical dance forms of India are the one which combine
music, dance, poetry, stories,
acting and many more, therefore along with being aesthetically
appealing the classical
dance forms are the prestigious cultural heritage of our
country. As we all know there are
eight different classical dance forms in India and Kathak is one
of them. The greatest Impact
of Bhakti movement on Indian literature, music and dance lead to
the innovation and
change in the Dance forms in the country. It has evolved in
terms of innovation in costume,
make-up, stage props etc. Most of the development of Indian
dance is linked to the 2nd
century Bharatas Natyashastra, which is the most important
source for establishing the
characteristics of Indian dance and drama and some other textual
sources as well.
Historically, the chief aim of the composition of the epics was
to instruct the indigenous
population of the sub continent in the knowledge of God. This
time can be said as parallel to
Greek theatre. After Hinduism, Buddhism came into being and
later on Islam. In 8th century
when Islam was firstly brought by Arabs and then by Turks, they
preached that all men were
brothers under one God, there was only one path to heaven which
lay through the
teachings of the prophets and that it was morally dangerous to
make representations of
living things. This attitude seriously affected Kathak because
they not only concerned with
many Gods and Goddesses but also portrayed them in human forms.
This made the dance
doubly sacrilegious to the Muslims and therefore it was
vehemently condemned. Kathak
had to find Hindus to continue their original form. Later under
less severe rulers they were
permitted to dance with impunity.
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2 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
1.2 Objectives
To study Kathak as a classical dance form and the evolution of
the same in
terms of costumes, stage props and stories.
To study the innovations taken place in Kathak throughout the
years and the
important elements those are now diminishing.
To study the sociological, cultural and political influence on
Kathak
1.3 Significance of the Study
Like any other classical art form, Kathak is an ancient art form
which started as an oral story
telling traditions or the Katha and was narrated by Kathakars
who were mainly from the
community called Kathak. Since Kathak has seen various eras
therefore has gone through
many changes and innovations which gradually became its
tradition.
The study of its evolution and innovation will not only hold a
record of a systematic
transformation in the dance form but also tells us how little
things have affected the art.
Kathak has not only changed in design aspects of costumes and
make-ups but also in
sociological aspects that are discussed in the document. We need
to know and preserve our
cultural heritage so that people do not remain ignorant about
them.
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3 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
1.4 Research Methodology
Secondary Research
This was done by collecting articles from books, journals,
Internet and referring to various
libraries that are listed below:
1. National Centre for Performing Arts, Churchgate, Mumbai
2. Bhatkhande Music Institute (Deemed University), Qaiserbagh,
Lucknow
3. Rashtriya Kathak Sansthan, Maharaja Mahmoodaad, Qaiserbagh,
Lucknow
4. Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi
Primary Research
Non participant observation and focused group interview was
done, both backstage and as
audience. Formal Interviews were conducted with Kathak scholars
and artists. They are:
1. Padmshree Ms. Shovana Narayan, National & International
Performer
2. Pandit Arjun Mishra, Teacher, Choreographer and Artist
3. Pandit Anuj Mishra, National & International
Performer
4. Ms. Rameshwari Jee, D/O Pandit Shambhoo Maharaj
5. Ms. Veena Singh, Kathak Reader, Bhatkhande Music Institute
(Deemed University),
Lucknow
6. Ms. Rashmee, Teacher, Bhatkhande Music Institute (Deemed
University)
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4 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
CHAPTER 2
STUDY OF THE DANCE FORM
2.1 Introduction to Indian Classical Art
Indian Classical Dance is one of the most comprehensive and
oldest dance forms in the
world. The Natyashastra lays down two aspects of dance Nritta-
pure dance and Nritya-
interpretative dance. Nritta is the expression of rhythmic
movement primarily through use
of the hands and feet often in specific poses and uses gestures
and facial expressions to
show the poetic or emotional meaning while combining rhythmic
gaits and postures.
In India, most classical dances evolved as a temple art. Many
Indian dynasties from the 6th
century onwards have contributed to this art form. This interest
in temple art was brought
about by spurts of building temples in the 9th and 10th
centuries. The Devadasis (servants
of God) performed dance at the temples. In the early 19th
century, four brothers known as
the Tanjore Quartet defined dance tradition. Dance was one of
the mediums of worship.
Thereafter, temple dancing was institutionalized and kings
patronized the dancers.
Indian classical music can be categorized into two genres;
Hindustani - system is a melodic
scale, consisting of notes from the basic seven and Carnatic
Music that is the classical music
of Southern India and one of the worlds oldest and richest
musical traditions.
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5 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
IMPACT OF PROMINENT MOVEMENTS
Bhakti Movement
The Bhakti movement was a Hindu religious movement of the
medieval period that
promoted the belief that salvation was attainable by everyone.
The movement is closely
related to Islamic Sufism, which appeared around the same time:
both advocated that a
personal expression of devotion to God is the way to become at
one with him. The Bhakti
movement originated in 7th century in Tamil Nadu and spread
northwards. While the
southern movement favoured devotion to Shiva, Vishnu and his
avatars, the northern
devotional movement was centred on Rama and Krishna, both of
whom are believed to be
incarnations of Vishnu. Despite this, the sects of Shiva or of
Vishnu did not go into decline.
In fact, for all of its history, the Bhakti movement co-existed
peacefully with the other
movements in Hinduism. It was initially considered unorthodox,
as it rebelled against caste
distinctions and disregarded Brahmanic rituals, which according
to Bhakti saints were not
necessary for salvation. In the course of time, however, owing
to its immense popularity
among the masses (and even gaining royal patronage) it became
'orthodox' and continues
to be one of the most important modes of religious expression in
modern India.
During the 14th17th centuries, a great Bhakti movement swept
through central and
northern India, initiated by a loosely associated group of
teachers or saints. Ramananda,
Ravidas, Srimanta Sankardeva, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
Vallabhacharya, Surdas, Meera Bai,
Kabir, Tulsidas, Namdev, Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram and other mystics
spearheaded the Bhakti
movement in the North while Annamacharya, Bhadrachala Ramadas,
Tyagaraja among
others propagated Bhakti in the South. They taught that people
could cast aside the heavy
burdens of ritual and caste, and the subtle complexities of
philosophy, and simply express
their overwhelming love for God. This period was also
characterized by a spate of devotional
literature in vernacular prose and poetry in the ethnic
languages of the various Indian states
or provinces.
While many of the Bhakti mystics focused their attention on
Krishna or Rama, it did not
necessarily mean that the sect of Shiva was marginalized. In the
twelfth century Basava
founded the ViraShaiva School or Virashaivism. He rejected the
caste system, denied the
supremacy of the Brahmins, condemned ritual sacrifice and
insisted on Bhakti and the
worship of the one God, Shiva. His followers were called
Vira-Shaivas, meaning "stalwart
Shiva-worshipers". One of the prominent figures in this
tradition is Akka Mahadevi, a
contemporary of Basava.
Seminal Bhakti works in Bengali include many songs of Ramprasad
Sen. His pieces are
known as Shyama Sangeet. Coming from the 17th century, they
cover an astonishing range
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6 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
of emotional responses to Ma Kali, detailing philosophical
statements based on Vedanta
teachings and more visceral pronouncements of his love of Devi.
Mirabai was one of the
bhakti poets.
This movement was responsible for many rites and rituals
associated with the worship of
God by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs of Indian subcontinent. For
example, Kirtan at a Hindu
Temple, Qawaali at a Dargah (by Muslims), and singing of Gurbani
at a Gurudwara are all
derived from the Bhakti movement of medieval India (800-1700).
The leader of this Hindu
revivalist movement was Shankaracharya, a great thinker and a
distinguished philosopher.
And this movement was propounded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
Namadeva, Tukaram, and
Jayadeva. The movement's major achievement was its abolition of
idol worship. Followers
of Bhakti movement in 12th and 13th Century included saints such
as Bhagat Namdev, and
Saint Kabir Das, who insisted on the devotional singing of
praises of lord through their own
compositions. Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru and founder of the
Sikhism, too was a
Nirguna Bhakti Saint and social reformer. The sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries
continued to witness the rise of many religious reformers. The
leading light of the Rama cult
was saint-poet Tulsidas. It advocated communal harmony among
various religious groups in
medieval India through the teachings of saints like Kabir.
Sufi Movement
Sufism arose from within Islam in the 8th-9th centuries C.E. as
an ascetic movement. The
Sufi movement consists of fraternal orders in which leaders
train and assist disciples in the
mastery of Sufism's philosophical principles and ritual
practices. Such rituals and practices
include writing and reciting poetry and hymns; some of the most
famous and beautiful
literature of the Islamic world has been written by Sufis. Sufis
engage in a variety of ritual
practices intended to help them realize union with God, such as
distinct forms of ritual
prayer (dhikr, literally "remembrance"), including the
recitation of God's names, as well as
bodily rituals such as those practices by the so-called
"Whirling Dervishes," a Turkish Sufi
order that practices meditation and contemplation of God through
spinning.
The Sufi Movement had twofold aims: To make their own spiritual
progress and to serve
the mankind. Sufism, which started as a reform movement, laid
emphasis on free-thinking,
liberal ideas and toleration. They believed in the equality of
all human beings and
brotherhood of man. Their concept of universal brotherhood and
the humanitarian ideas of
the Sufi saints attracted the Indian mind. A movement similar to
Sufism, called the Bhakti
cult, was already afoot in India on the eve of the Muslim
conquest of the country. The
liberal-minded Sufis were, therefore, welcomed in India. The
Sufi movement proved very
helpful in bridging the gap between the followers of the two
religions and in bringing the
Hindus and the Muslims together.
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7 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
The Sufi movement gained impetus during the reign of Akbar who
adopted a liberal religious
policy under the influence of the Sufi saints. The Sufism
reached India in the 12th century
A.D. Its influence grew considerably during the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries. In India,
Chisti and Suhrawardi Silsila were most prominent (out of 14
silsilhas mentioned by Abul
Fazal.
Chisti order was founded in India by Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.
His dargah at Ajmer became
a centre of veneration for both the Muslims and Hindus. After
his death in 1236 A.D., his
devotees continued to celebrate an annual festival at Ajmer. But
the most famous Sufi saint
of the Chisti order was Nizamuddin Auliya. He led a simple
austere life and lived in Delhi. By
his vast learning, religious knowledge, and tolerant attitude to
all religions, he earned
devotion of both the Hindu and Muslim masses. The Sufi Movement
in India helped in
establishing peace and amity among the Hindus and Muslims.
The liberal ideas and unorthodox principles of Sufism had a
profound influence on Indian
society. The liberal principles of Sufi sects restrained
orthodox. Muslims in their attitude and
encouraged many Muslim rulers to pursue tolerant attitude to
their non-Muslim subjects.
Most Sufi saints preached their teachings in the language of
common man that contributed
greatly to the evolution of various Indian languages like Urdu,
Punjabi, Sindhi, Kashmiri and
Hindi. The impact of Sufi Movement was deeply felt on some
renowned poets of the period,
like Amir Khusrau and Malik Muhammad Jayasi who composed poems
in Persian and Hindi
in praise of Sufi principles.
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8 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
2.2 Kathak- The Indian Classical Dance Form
2.2.1 Kathak-The Name
According to Pandit Rajaram Dwivedi, Kathak Nritya sangya is
been originated from
Lucknow in 1635 or 1636. Some say that the name Kathak is given
by Late Mr. Raamdas
Kathik who was an appointed faculty in Marris Music Institute
(present: Bhatkhande Music
Institute, Deemed University). It is true that all the currently
existing classical dance forms
were named in the 4th decade of 20th century. Bharatnatyam was
named by Srimati
Rukmani Devi, Manipuri by Gurudev Ravindra Nath Thakur and
Kathakali by Poet Vallathol
Narayan Menon. These names are not mentioned in any of the books
written earlier.
Similarly in North India when the dance classes started in
Marris College of Lucknow, Late
Mr. Ramdas Kathik (Ramdatt Jee), (who was maternal uncle of Late
Shri Shambhoo Maharaj
and traditional Kathak dancer of Ayodhya) was appointed as a
faculty and named the dance
form as Kathak. Professor Kalyanpurkar came to Lucknow from
Bombay as a faculty
appointed in Marris College, Lucknow when one day the
Founder/President of the college
and Raja of Dariyavaad Late Rai Umanaath Bali said that the
dance they teach (Tukde, Paran
and Gaths) is not Kathak and to show what original Kathak means,
he called Traditional
Kathaks from Dariyavaad State (A place near Ayodhya). But since
the name was already
popularised it was difficult to change and since then it was
permanently named as Kathak.
According to Pandit Raja Ram Dwivedi (as per his research and
writings) this dance is
termed as Natwari in all the old sources, also Late Shree
Jagannath (Achhan) used to call
his dance as Natwar Nritya.
When the dance form was named as Kathak, a detailed research of
the relevant (pre-
existing) words was done, as a result words like: Kathik,
Kathiko, Kahub, Kathak came into
limelight. Traditional dancers of Ayodhya used to call
themselves Kathik while Rajasthani
tradition called it Kathhak ()
Pandit Rajaram Dwivedi, editor of sangeet (1641), which was a
monthly magazine, Pandit
Ganesh Prasad Dwivedi and other intellectuals have always used
the word Kathik, Kathiko
word is found in Pali and Nepali dictionaries. Kahub is found in
Kalpsutra and other Jain
books.
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9 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
Mythological Origin
There are two religious legends related to the origin of Kathak
as a dance form. They are as
follows:
In ancient times God Indra held a big festival and when the
competitive dance performance
was given, Parvati, wife of God Shiva, executed the most rapid
dance steps and her dance
was far better than any other. Therefore God Indra gave the
reward to Parvati. Though, she
was his wife, Shiva was indignant that he was belittled by her,
because he considered
himself as the best one. He suggested Indra to keep a
competition again between Shiva and
Parvati. Shiva executed rapid steps and quick turns but Parvati
danced even faster. Shiva got
extremely angry and threatened to destroy the world with
Tandava. Parvati pretended to be
a bad dancer and conceded victory to Shiva. Thus, she calmed
down his anger and he tried
to extend and promote Kathak style dance through Parvati.
Another legend is again about shiva where Shiva had a wonderful
ring that had a magical
power. If anybody keeps it on anyones head and made an
incantation, the person got
crushed into pieces. Shiva gave the ring to a rakshasa (devil)
being pleased with him. Devil
tried to kill Shiva, Parvati got worried and planned to save his
husband and said to the devil
your dance is so splendid, Can you dance for me and the devil in
pride started dancing.
Soon he started doing turns putting his hand on his head which
had the ring. Meanwhile,
Parvati hurried to chant incantation and the devils body got
crushed into pieces. Believers
of the story think it is because of this only that in the
beginning of Kathak dance there is
always a pose of standing still like the devil did before being
crushed.
2.2.2 History & Development
The story of Kathak begins in ancient times with the
performances of professional
storytellers called Kathakars who recited or sang stories from
epics and mythologies with
some elements of dance. The tradition of the Kathakars was
hereditary and dances passed
from generation to generation. By the 13th century a definite
style had emerged and soon
technical features like mnemonic syllables and bol developed.
Although history of Kathak
has been a debatable issue as it was the style which evolved
gradually during the course of
several centuries, imbibing diverse influences. Till then this
dance continued to flourish in
the precincts of the temples till 14th and 15th centuries A.D In
the 15th and 16th century at
the time of Bhakti movement, rasleela had tremendous impact on
Kathak. The dance of the
form even made its way to the kathavaachaks who performed in
temples.
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However, in 15th century with the rise of Mughal Empire and with
the establishment of a
state religion which did not believe in dance as a form of
worship, some changes took place.
It acquired distinctive shape and features and encountered
different forms of dance and
music most especially dancers from Persia. As a result, dancing
figures disappeared in
temple structure. The beginnings of the Kathak dance can be
traced back to the dance
illustrated in Jain paintings and manuscripts. The last Nawab of
Oudh Wajid Ali Shah was
himself a musician, dancer and poet. During his rule Lucknow
Gharana came into being.
By about the 16th century, the tight churidar pyjama appeared as
the standard dress of the
dancer. Despite wearing a full-skirted lehenga; the churidar
pyjama below is seen. The
anklets become a common feature of the paintings of this period.
Before the 17th century
the women danced to accompaniment of the mridanga and the
majira. Many paintings of
the period are illustrations of the ragas and the raginis on one
hand and the nayikas on the
other. While the dance was not popular in the Mughal court
however the music was liked.
Thumri and Khayal (North Indian classical music) were closely
associated with this dance.
Kathak was influenced by the dancers and musicians from
Persia.
Till this time the dance had completely shifted from purely
religious to entertainment.
Dancers from Middle East spread their ideas to Kathak dancers as
they borrowed ideas from
Kathak to implement in their own dance. Slowly the two dances
became one as a common
link between Hindu and Muslim culture. It remained a solo dance
form based on personal
interpretation and emotional values.
Kathak became two distinct styles in the atmosphere, theme,
costume and music. The
temple style defines the mythological and spiritual importance,
and the court style gave its
attention to rhythmic displays, fast footwork and an enhanced
body balance. The major
theme of Kathak shifted from devotional to romantic ideas. In
recent times, both the styles
have been integrated into one distinct style that merges both
the spiritual physical aspects
into one unified dance form. It was also during this period
Kathak was performed by the
tawaifs, who actually developed the dance form in parallel to
its refinement in the court.
The beginning of the colonial domination in Indian landmass saw
a steep decline in the
dance form of Kathak. The British administration associated the
dance form as sole form of
tawaifs culture and thought it was basically for the purpose of
seduction. But in recent
times Kathak as a dance form has again regained its popularity
after the period of decline
and now it is one of the eight dances officially sanctioned
classical dance forms of India.
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Muslim Influence
Indian dance has always been religious in origin and temple
dancers have been an integral
part of its maintenance. No Indian dancing has deviated further
from this original intent
than Kathak. For some centuries now, Kathak has not been scared
nor has it been in
temples. Owing partly to the less devout character of north
India as compared with the
south, and partly because the Muslim rulers of north India
greatly influenced the art and
expunged it of many of its Hindu sentiments, kathaks connection
with religion is now
attenuated almost beyond recognition.
In the atmosphere of the Muslim courts, Indians danced not to
please their Gods, but to
please their overlords; not for spiritual reward, but for
immediate remuneration. The erotic
aspect of the dance was not even slenderly disguised with
spiritual fervor.
Kathak developed as a court dance to be performed before rulers
who, although Indianized,
were originally foreigners of an alien religion from Persia and
Arabia. The indigenous
elements of the dance became overgrown with the tastes of its
patrons. This hybrid
combination produced in Kathak a special charm and
individuality.
The greatest contribution of the Muslims to the
dance was their patronage. They encouraged
the art and made it possible for large numbers
of artists to pursue their gifts. Muslim aversion
to pictorial representation in art made meaning
and mudras greatly decline in Kathak. Kathak
has neither the interpretive powers of padas,
nor has it a pure abstractness comparable to
nritta parts of Bharatas Natyashastra and
Kathakali. It has instead fostered and
developed suggestiveness and virtuosity.
Kathak suggests the emotion of a phrase rather
than depict its words. It retains its intellectual
elements through brilliance of execution and
subtlety of performance. The enjoyment of a
performance is largely a mental exercise rather
than an experience in feeling.
Figure 1 India, Mughal period, c.1675,
Two Girls joining hands and performing a Kathak
Dance-Victoria & Albert Museum
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Muslim rulers predisposition for young men led Kathak to develop
into an epicene art, a
blend of tanadava and lasya. Kathak is natural when performed
either by men or women, as
it requires neither violence nor excessive daintiness. It is the
only dance of India, over which
controversy has not raged as to the propriety of both sexes
performing it, although the
majority of dancers are female.
Change in Bhakti Era
During the era of fervent worship of Radha-Krishna, Kathak was
used to narrate tales from
the lives of these figures. Popular performances included Sri
Krishnas exploits in the holy
land of Vrindavan, and tales of Krishna leela (Krishnas
childhood). In this time, the dance
moved away from the spirituality of Temple.
Later Court Influences
Many specific emperors contributed to the growth and development
of Kathak into
different Gharanas, or schools of dance, named after the cities
in which they developed. The
Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, not only enjoyed giving
patronage to dancers, but danced
himself, taught by Durga Prasad. He himself choreographed a
dance, rahas, that he danced
himself with the ladies of his court. He brought teachers to his
palaces, aiding the expansion
of technical vocabulary, and formed the basis of the Lucknow
Gharana, emphasizing
sensuous, expressive emotion. The Lucknow Gharana placed
emphasis on the abhinaya and
natya elements or expressional qualities of the dancing; it was
famed for its subtlety and
grace (nazakat). This contrasted sharply with the Jaipur
Gharana, which became renowned
for highly intricate and complex footwork, and fast, sharp, and
accurate dancing. Even after
the Mughals, courts in Rajasthan enjoyed Kathak as a
sophisticated art form, fostering the
growth of the Jaipur Gharana. The Banaras Gharana was also
created at this time.
During the Raj
With the advent of British rule in India, Kathak went into sharp
decline. The Victorian
administrators publicly pronounced it a base and unlovely form
of entertainment, despite
often privately enjoying the pleasures of Tawaifs. Indeed, by
associating Kathak solely with
the tawaifs with out and out prostitution, Kathak acquired an
unwholesome image: the
entirely British concept of Nautch. Kathak was, to Victorian
eyes, an entertainment designed
solely for the purpose of seduction. During these times of
cultural hardship, the role of the
tawaifs in preserving the art forms should not be
underestimated. Famous tawaifs such as
Gauhar Jaan were instrumental in the maintenance and
continuation of Kathak, even as it
was officially denigrated by the prevailing political
opinion.
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2.2.3 The Nautch
Name, by which Indian dances as we know today was universally
known right up to the first
quarter of the century, was Nautch. Bharatnatyam, Orrisi, Ballet
and the rest are all labels
that have gained currency during the past 50 years or so.
Earlier, all the dances especially to
western commentators, was just plain Nautch. Performers were
known as Nautch girls.
These professionals became a part of Indias cultural life in
Mughal era. Mughals brought a
lot of good and bad things to the country. They considered
entertainment as a necessity,
and one of their favourite diversions was dance. This led to the
importation on a large scale
of dancing girls from Persia who brought in their own dance,
which was promptly adapted
to suite their masters gradually a new form of dance began to
emerge and this became the
Nautch. Europeans and other travellers who visited India between
16th and 19th centuries
(for over 400 years); it was regarded as a decadent art, a
vulgar pursuit.
If the word nautch is familiar in the west, it is due rather
more to the use to which they put
the dance than to the dance itself. Nautch for a long time has
been synonymous with the
inmates of brothels, and even today. For a slight gratuity, most
North Indian prostitutes will
supply the customer with a brief dance prelude before the more
serious business of the
evening.
In course of time, Kathak evolved from the Nautch. Other
contributory factors were the
dance content of sacred Rasleela plays of Braj, which revolved
around Krishna and his
childhood stories. Element of storytelling is very strong in
these plays, and this is derived
from the professional narrators who were committed to the
temples of Braj. They were
known as Kathakars and from this sprang the style of Kathak.
Kathak after Independence
If we talk about the history of Indian culture during late 19th
and early 20th century, the
condition was very pathetic. After the end of Nawabs of Owdh and
British invasion, the
national respect that was given to Kathak almost vanished and
their daily earning was only
limited to teaching dance to the prostitutes. Kathak dance which
once used to furnish in
temples started decorating the evenings of Brothels. Due to
voluptuary environment Kathak
evolved large changes in its form time to time. British did not
have much interest in Indian
arts; therefore they never encouraged Kathak as a dance form.
Due to its linkages to the
brothels and prostitutes, Kathak was seen as renounceable and
useless thing. During this
deplorable time which Kathak was going through, the
encouragement and contribution of
some important personalities cannot be forgotten. Maharaj Kalka
Prasad, Maharaj
Bindadeen, Madam Menaka were some of them who had a remarkable
approach in keeping
Kathak in its purest forms.
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India got independence in 1947. During the promotion of National
awareness, various art
forms faced reformation. Kathak, which is an inseparable part of
Indian cultural heritage,
started being appreciated by people and got encouragement as
well as respect. Its
development was done at a national level, and that is how not
only in India but it is one of
the popular dance forms all over the world.
Kathak has the qualities of beauty, sanctity, depth,
universality and power to fascinate the
ordinary crowd. Other than Kalka and Bindadeen, Gharanas, gurus
and instructors also
played a major role in establishing Kathak for what it is today.
The list involves the name of
Achhan Maharaj, Lachhu maharaj, Shambhoo Maharaj, Birju Maharaj,
Sundar Prasad jee,
Gaurishankar Jee, Kundanlaal Gangaani, Mohanrav Kalyanpurkar,
Hazarilaal Jee, Sunayan
Jee, KrishnaKumar, Raja Chakradhar Singh, Kartikraam,
Sitaaradevi, Gopikrishna, Ramgopal,
Damyanti Joshi, Maya Rav, Roshan Kumari, Rani Karna, Kapila
Vtsyayan, Rohini Bhate, Uma
Sharma, Kumudini Laakhiya, Urmila Naagar, Jagdish Gangaani,
Rajendra Gangaani,
Shovana Narayan, Shashi Sankhala, Prerna Sreemali etc. These
Kathak artists have done a
lot of labor to overdress it.
Kathak Today
Today we see Kathak as an amalgamation of temple and court style
both. Other than
spiritual side of the sweet pageant of Radha and Krishna, more
emphasis is on the romantic
face of the same. People are losing on the spiritual connect
with Kathak. The major aim of
the dance is now limited to entertain the audience and nothing
more. The costumes, make
ups, stage arrangement, light and sound arrangement all have
changed in every aspect.
Due to westernization, Kathak dance form got amalgamated with
Ballet (Dance Drama) in
which stories based on mythological literature were witnessed.
Udayshankar did a
remarkable work in composition of Ballet-Kathak fusion that
contained Kathak elements
(although it was not purely Kathak) majorly.
Late Lachhu Maharaj and Pt. Birju Maharaj have also done notable
hard work in developing
the compositions based on the same, which has also been
represented several times on
national and international platforms. These days choreographic
compositions based on a
theme are very popular with the developing technology.
In modern times government has encouraged Kathak dance form to a
much larger extent by
developing Kathak Kendra in different cities, Keeping dance and
music (classical) as a subject
in colleges and universities and also creating international
platform for the dancers. Other
than this, honouring the artists with the title of Padmshree is
also a big step towards
encouragement. Kathak shows on televisions, live shows at
various centres and historical
places, stating and writing about Kathak are also very helpful.
Although Kathak dance in
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15 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
bollywood is not considered as a good thing by classical critics
because the perspective
entirely changes in terms of makeup, costumes, techniques and
other elements that define
Kathak.
Conclusion is that the Kathak what we are seeing today is very
different from the one which
used to be in earlier times. Starting from a temple dance it
went through the courts and
later to brothels which kept on changing it widely. There is no
particular incident that how it
changed from a spiritual worship to a source of romance and
entertainment. Muslim
influence brought a lot of Urdu words like aamad, nikas, adaa,
salaami etc. Today we see
Kathak as completely new art form that has gone through a lot of
innovations and has
evolved into a novel art.
2.3 Kathak Gharanas
The development of Gharanas played a major role in keeping
Kathak alive.
Lucknow Gharana
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16 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
The Lucknow gharana actually developed in the courts of the
Nawab of Oudh in Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh. It particularly gives importance to grace,
elegance and natural expressions in
the dance. Abhinaya or expressional acting, especially
improvised plays a very strong role in
this style, and Birju Maharaj, Shambhoo Maharaj and Lachhu
Maharaj were all famed for
the naturalness of and innovativeness of their abhinaya.
Figure 2 The Inside View-1
Figure 3 The Inside View-2
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17 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
Figure 5 The Front Gate View
Figure 4 The Back View The back portion is Pandit Birju Maharajs
house and rest of the plot is given to the Government
for developing Kathak Museum
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18 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
JAIPUR GHARANA
The Jaipur gharana developed in the courts of the Kachchwaha
kings of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
The significance is placed on the more technical aspects of
dance, such as complex and
powerful footwork, multiple spins, and complicated compositions
in different talas. There is
also a greater incorporation of compositions from the Pakhwaj,
such as, Parans.
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BANARAS GHARANA
The Banaras gharana was also developed by Jankiprasad. It is
characterised by the
exclusive use of the Natwari or Dance bols, which are different
from the Tabla and Pakhwaj
bols. There are differences in the Thaat and Tatkaar, and
chakkars are kept at a minimum
but are often taken from both the right and the left hand sides
with equal confidence. There
is also a greater use of the floor. Though the style developed
in Varanasi, today it flourishes
in Bikaner.
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20 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
RAIGAD GHARANA
The Raigarh Gharana was established by the Maharaja Chakradhar
Singh in the princely state of Raigarh in Chhattisgarh in the early
20th century. The Maharaja invited many luminaries of Kathak (as
well as famous percussionists) to his court, including, Kalka
Prasad (the father of Achhan, Lacchu and Shambhoo Maharaj) and his
sons, and Pandit Jailal from the Jaipur Gharana. The confluence of
different styles and artists created a unique environment for the
development of new Kathak and tabla compositions created from
various backgrounds.
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21 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE GHARANAS
LUCKNOW GHARANA JAIPUR GHARANA BANARAS GHARANA
This Gharana had its origin at Lucknow. It prospered here.
The centre of this gharana was Jaipur in Rajasthan.
This Gharana evolved at Banaras
It was founded by Shri Ishwari Prasadjee
It was founded by Shri Bhanu Ji.
It was founded by Shri Janki Prasad.
Lord Krishna had inspired Shri Ishwari Prasad in his dreams to
revive the Natwari style of dance
Shri Bhanu Ji was trained in Tandava style by a sage.
Janki Prasad came to Banaras and created this new style.
This gharana was patronized by the Nawab of Oudh and Muslim
rulers and hence the influence of Muslim culture is evident.
This Gharana was patronized by Hindu kings and hence is
influenced entirely by Hindu culture
This Gharana imbibes both the Tandava and Lasya and the
influence of Hindu religion is evident.
In this style, Lasya is important and depicts soft bhavas
(sentiments).
The Gharana involves special preparations in which stress is
laid upon purity of footwork.
This tandava dance characterises this gharana and hence the
spirit of bravery is reflected in this style.
Thumris are more often used.
Devotion is the main theme.
Prayers of Lord Shiva and Krishna are mostly used.
Use of Kavitas (poems) is nominal. Emoting is based on singing
of thumris and ghazals.
Kavitas (poems) are more often used.
Kavitas (poems) and thumris both are equally used.
Bols of Tatkar are tigda dig dis tigda dig dig
Bols of tatkars are ta thai thai tat.
While bols are same as luck now Gharana, in Padnikasi, feet are
tapped 6 times.
Due to Muslim influence, the costume usually comprises Angarkha
and pyjama. There is not much difference between the costume of men
and women dancers.
In this Gharana, usually Bandi (vest) and dhoti are worn by male
dancers and lehenga and choli by female dancers.
The male dancers wear only dhoti and nothing above waist. Female
dancers wear lehenga and choli.
Bhramari is not much used.
Bhramari is more often used.
Bharamari is more often used.
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2.4 Elements of Kathak
2.4.1 History of Kathak Costumes
Today if we refer to any website or book we see the two styles
of costumes: Hinduism
Inspired and Islam inspired. Where they say that lehenga and
sarees were all related to
Hindu clothing and anarkali suits and churidaar was all given by
Muslim invasion which is
not true. If we deeply study the History of Indian costumes, one
can easily understand the
evolution of costumes in the dance form. The origin of Kathakars
dates back to the Vedic
period when the epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata were written
with the very first
story tellers who are believed to be Luv and Kush; sons of Lord
Rama and Sita.
Vedic Period:
The Harappa civilization was followed by Vedic
or Rig-Vedic culture which was completely
opposed to it. The Vedic culture was founded by
the Aryans. They were immigrants and arrived
in India between 2000 and 1500 BC. The origin
of the Aryans is still an unsettled affair. The
coming of the Aryans to India was a great event
in Indian history. The Aryans were considered to
be one of the world's most civilized
communities. They were far ahead of other
races of their time. The original homeland of
Aryans has remained a subject of long and
protracted controversy. Regarding the original
home of the Aryans the historians have held
divergent views. Communities of Kathakars wandered around
the
countryside conveying the stories of these great epics and myths
to
the people by means of poetry, music and dance, all three of
which
were closely linked. As per the findings saree or dhoti of
fabrics
cotton and linen existed during Vedic period. There is also a
mention
of unending saree gifted to Draupadi by Krishna in
Mahabharata.
After the invasion of the Aryans, silk fabric also came into
the
country and now except cotton and linen, silk was also used in
the
garments. In the fifth century B.C. there arose in north India a
new
religion which was to begin with, very different from the
Vedic
religion then prevalent. It was founded by prince Siddhartha of
the
sakya tribe who forsaking riches and power, preached
equality
Figure 6 Bharat during Ramayana times
Figure 7: Gandhar Buddha 2nd century B.C; Tokyo
National Museum
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23 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
among all men and by his own example showed the path to self
realisation. He came to be
known as Buddha or the enlightened one and his teachings spread
across the countries of
Asia. One piece cloth was the major costumes of the Buddhists
and it can be seen in the
sculptures and the statues found.
Maurya Period:
Mauryan Empire was the first empire to
unite almost all of India under a single
government. The empire lasted from
about 324 to about 185 B.C. Under the
rule of Chandragupta Maurya, which
ended about 298 B.C., the empire included
much of what are now northern India,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Chandraguptas son Bindusara and
Bindusara's son Asoka expanded the
empire far into South India. The empire's
capital was Pataliputra (now Patna).
During this period the unstitched clothes continued to be
worn.
The birth of ghaghara was noticed in some parts.
Antariya in kachha style, utariya across the head or
casually
draped on the shoulders, kayabandh or the girdle. The cloth
became finer with the increase in status of the person
adorning
it. Cotton continued to be used as traditional textile and
silk
called cinamsuka was imported from China along silk route.
Figure 8 The Mauryan Empire
Figure 9- The Didarganj Yakshi depicting the dhoti wrap of
the
Vedic Period, Patha Museum
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24 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
In the above figures we see the lady wearing a ghaghara that
creates a circular shape while
pirouetting while in the second figure we can see utariya worn
over head, a much stylised
antariya and a kayabandh. In the third figure we see Nati with
damaru in the hands wearing
a skirt/ghaghra. These can be compared by the present day Kathak
costumes as shown
below.
Figure 12 3rd Century B.C. Nati Pirouetting
Figure 11 A Stylistic Female Antariya
Figure 14- Comparing Costumes
Figure 10 3rd Century B.C.
Figure 13- Comparing Costumes
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25 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
0-500 A.D.
Until this period the stitches were introduced in the country
but Gods and Goddesses were
depicted in the dresses without stitches.
Kushan Dynasty
The name Kushan is derived from a
Chinese name Gui-shang, a branch of
the Yuezhi, a group of people
speaking the Tocharian language.
They were originally driven out of
China, when the Chinese built a large
wall to keep out nomads and
uncivilized tribes. The Kushans
overthrew the Indo-Greek kingdom
and the Indo-Parthian kingdom and
established themselves in Bactria for
some years, before they pushed
down into India. They ended up
ruling all the Gangetic plain down to
Patna, making Mathura their
Southern capital. Their Northern
capital was near modern day Kabul,
called Purusapura (modern
Peshawar).
There were in all 15 Kushan rulers from 1 AD to 375 AD. The rule
of the Kushans linked
seagoing trade of the Indian Ocean with the commerce of the Silk
Road from China to
Europe through the Indus Valley. Cultural exchanges also
flourished, and the Kushan time
saw a fusion of Greek and Buddhist cultural elements, expanding
into Asia as Mahayana
Buddhism. In the 1970s a tomb was discovered near Kabul,
containing richly decorated
bodies and artefacts, which has been approximately dated at
around 100 AD. In the tomb
there were 5 noble ladies, one maidservant and a man in warrior
dress (shown here on the
right) who could have been a family member or a guard. Here
below are the details of the
clothing and jewellery of the ladies.
The Kushan society lasted nearly 400 years. 15 kings ruled. In
the early stages everyone
wore Persian style garments, and the people they were ruling
wore Hindu style garments
from the Mauryan times. Gradually the two costume styles mixed
and eventually by the
time of the Guptas, most people were wearing Hindu style
garments. The royal court ladies
and courtiers wore a very Hindu style. So the costumes worn
during the Kushan period can
be divided into several categories.
Figure 15 Kushan Empire
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26 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
Figure 16 Costume categories during Kushan kingdom
The Shalwar Kameez has a very significant place in
the History of the Textiles and traces its roots back
to the invasion and subsequent rule of the Indian
subcontinent by central Asians as far back as 400
CE. Evidence of Persian influence on Textiles and
Clothing in India can be traced to the Kushan
Empire (001 AD). Coinage and stone palettes
found from the Indo-Scythian/Parthian period
show Greek and Persian influences in clothing. The
palettes depict people dressed in caps or head-
bands, ruched long sleeved Tunics, calf-length
Coats worn loose crossed-over from right to left
and secured with leather or metal belt and baggy
trousers.
The Kushan dress evolved from a nomad culture
based on the use of the horses. This costume very
well resembles the anarkalis and shalwar suits of
the present day.
Figure 17 1st Century A.D. - Kushan Period Costumes; Kanishka
(From the
warrior class)
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27 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
Persian Rule
Due to the Islamic invasion in the 11th century,
Persian fashions were incorporated in the
everyday wardrobe. Men and women would
wear long trousers with a long tunic that came
down to their knees. Some women wore long
veils that would cover their trousers. Silver and
gold jewellery became popular among Indian
women. Women also started sporting the bindi,
which is a red dot on the forehead.
Persian Caps and dresses were introduced
in India. The major inspirations were taken
from the motifs of Persia that were
introduced later in carpets and other
textiles.
Gupta Dynasty
The Gupta Empire extended across present-
day northern India and portions of present-
day Pakistan and Bangladesh from about
A.D. 320 to about 500. At this time, India
became a centre of art, learning, and
medicine. As traditional Hindu monarchs,
the Guptas were strong supporters of Vedic
religious beliefs and rituals. Hinduism had
reached its peak Manu Smriti dictated a
rigid class system and Buddhism declined.
During this time many types of cut and sewn
garments started to exist in the country and
the proofs are found in various sculptures of
gupta times.
Figure 18 Persian Clothing
Figure 19 Persian Caps and garments
Figure 20 Gupta Empire
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28 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
The sculptures in the right clearly show women in dancing
posture wearing cut and sewn
garments resembling kurta pyjama.
Other sculptures
resembles garments
like kurta with side
slit which is very
similar to the
silhouette of
lucknawi side cut
kurtis (local name).
Figure 21 5th Century A.D. Gupta Period- Deogarh
Figure 23 Gupta Period Sculpture depicting Kurta -5thCentury
AD-Deogarh
Figure 22 Gupta Period Sculptures depicting side slit Kurta and
churidar/Pyjama
Figure 24 Gupta Period -5th century AD Depicting Lehenga-choli,
dupatta and
Dhoti -Bikaner
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29 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
After 5th century A.D. stitched antariya evolved as ghaghara and
Kanchukas were also
noticed. Kanchukas were the close fitting garments closing the
upper body. During and after
6th century A.D. men started wearing lungi instead of
dhoti/saree. In 7th century A.D. when
Indo Scythians came, they brought new textures and materials
with them which makes
present day scenario. So, it is clear from the above discussion
that saree, dhoti, lehenga-
choli, kurta-churidar/pyjama already existed in the country
before Mughals conquered the
nation. Therefore, there is nothing such as Hindu and Islamic
costume in Kathak dance form.
It is only the style that was prominent in both the cultures.
Today also while depicting
compositions like jahaan-ara, Mughal-e-azam the artist wears
anarkalis and veil because it
was prominent during their rule and the characters in reality
used to wear those. Same is
the case with compositions based on Radha-Krishna and any other
Hindu character.
Mughal Empire
Central Asian Muslims established the empire in 1526. By about
1600, the Mughals
controlled most of what are now north and central India,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and
Pakistan. The empire lasted until the 1700's.
The greatest Mogul emperor
was Akbar (ruled 15561605),
who subdued some of the
strongest Hindu states. Akbar's
grandson Shah Jahan (ruled
162858) was the builder of the
Taj Mahal. He was deposed by
his son, Aurangzeb (16581707),
who extended the Mogul
domains but aroused fierce
resistance by the Maratha
Confederacy, a group of Hindu
states in central India. Shortly
after Aurangzeb's death the
Persians invaded India and
sacked Delhi. Many Indian states
declared their independence,
and Mogul power gradually dwindled away, although the empire
survived in name until
1858. Muslims found this kind of devotions unsuitable for the
patronage but they liked the
music and dance detached from worship. Therefore they sent for
dancers and musicians
from Persia and Central Asia. These dancing girls were known as:
Dominis, Hansinis, Lolonis,
and Hourkinis. All of them had their distinctive style of
dancing.
Figure 25 Mughal Kingdom
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30 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
Mughals brought political unity,
economic stability and social
justice. Akbar married a Rajput
princess and Kathak entered its
golden era. Fatehpur Sikri was the
new centre for dancers, poets and
musicians.
There was a huge Persian influence
on the costumes and interestingly
new costumes were introduced.
Men wore a jacket and women
wore a choli- a fitted blouse with
short sleeves (midriff bare). Both
had tight trousers called chust
pyjamas. Over this they wore
plisse skirt made of stiff material in
three tiers several inches above
the knee. It resembled the tutu of
western ballet which was not
invented until very much later.
They also took transparent scarf of silk or
Muslin odhni or dupatta head dress consisted
of a muslin Turban.
During Jahangirs era the dancers wore chust
pyjama in a bright colour over which was worn
a high neck diaphanous dress- Angarkha. Soft
flowing bell-shaped skirt was of full length and
like the sleeves was left unlined.
For women, embroidered waistcoat of rich
satin emphasized the body line and odhni. For
men, double breasted angarkha which fastened
on their left with chust pyjamas. Palms and
bare feet were dyed in henna. Numerous
miniatures of 18th and 19th century show the
dancers in the costume.
Figure 26 Kathak dance in front of Badshaah Daarashikoh
17th Century, Indian Museum, Calcutta
Figure 27 Tamasha of Bhaat and Nat
In Akbars court, 17th century- Courtesy: Baagla
Family, Haathras
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31 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
2.4.2 Contemporary Costumes and Make-ups
Traditional (and perhaps
more specifically Hindu)
costume sometimes
consists of a saree,
whether worn in an
everyday style, or tied up
to allow greater freedom
of movement during
dance. However, more
commonly, the costume
is a lehenga choli
combination, with an
optional odhni or veil.
The lehenga is loose
ankle-length skirt, and
the choli is a tight fitting
blouse, usually short-
sleeved. Both can be highly ornately embroidered or decorated.
The lehenga is sometimes
adapted to a special dance variety, similar to a long Ghaghara,
so that during spins, the skirt
flares out dramatically.
Figure 29 Lehenga, choli, Dupatta Figure 28
Anarkali-churidaar
Figure 30 Anarkali-churidaar Figure 31 Saree
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32 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
The traditional costume for men is to be bare-chested. Below the
waist is the dhoti, usually
tied in the Bengali style, which is with many pleats and a fan
finish to one of the ends
(although it is not unknown for dancers to tie the garment more
simply). There is the option
of wearing a men's bandi too. For Islamic compositions, the
costume is kurta-churidar.
The kurta can be a simple one, or again, adapted for dance to
incorporate wider flare, but is
usually at least knee-length. Men may also wear an angarkha;
particularly older variety
costumes include the small peaked cap too.
Figure 32 Different Styles of Men's Kathak Costume
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33 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
There is no specification in costume or make-ups in
Kathak. These elements have become much
customized and contemporised as well. The artist
wears clothes as per their wish and also keeping in
mind the backdrop of the stage, the occasion and the
compositions. The traditional followers of the
Natyashastras aharya abhinaya exist no more now.
As we know Bollywood is the biggest common
platform of arts and artists and Kathak being one of
the most popular classical Indian dance form, is also a
part of Bollywood Industry to a huge extent. The
exploitation of Kathak is reflected very clearly in
bollywood songs and dances. They are not only ruining
the traditional essence of the art form in terms of
costume, make ups and character depiction but also
creating a misconception regarding the same.
2.4.3 Compositions
Kathak survived mostly in Rasleelas. During British rule the
paintings of Mrs. Belnos and
Solvyns titled as Nautch are a big evidence of the costumes worn
in Kathak. Kathak as
divided into 16 sections: Bhadohi- Mirzapur district, Mathapati-
Matha, Manvari,
Bhunsaina, Gonraha- Gonda, Usari, Nandik, Rajaipur, Notepur,
Naikan, Jangali, Mangali
(Azamgarh & Gorakhpur). The Kathak dancers were same as
Brahmins; the only difference
between them was that the Kathakars cannot take Dana (endowment)
like Brahmins. Due
to belief of Prostitution (created by Britishers) and their
linkages to Dancers- the dance form
was after some time at the verge of vanishing but at the same
time foreign Dancers came to
India and the dance form was being encouraged with the
appreciation. Madam Menaka (A
famous Dancer) introduced innovation with the help of
Shantiniketan and made Kathak
more presentable on the stage.
Kathak is composed by two parts, Tala and Gatha. Tala is a part
of footwork and is the most
important element of Kathak. We have mens tala and womens tala.
It is said that mans
tala originated from god Shiva and womens tala originated from
Parvatis movements
(Tandava and Lasya). Gatha is a gesture. Various meanings are
expressed through different
mudras as in other Indian Dance forms.
Mostly the Kathak Dance Themes are related to Lord Krishna. For
example, a dance of
depicting the childhood pranks of Krishna, A sprang dance in
which Krishna plays merrily
Figure 33 Pandit Anuj Mishra in Mughal character
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34 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
with milkmaids (Gopis), and (it is very lovely dance expressing
the picking of flowers, the
flying of a kite or playing in water.)
A dance of young Krishnas love or a dance of Krishna who dallies
with Gopis in Vrindavan
woods in the moonlit night and plays a flute leaning to a tree,
or some romantic stories of
his beloved Radha. Some themes are about Lord Shiva and Parvati,
and some are about
Shiva and Rakshasa, or other new themes appearing one after the
other.
The compositions of Kathak were known as Kathanak. Some of the
famous Kathanak are:
Ahilya Uddhaar Parvati Mangal Putna Vadh Bhasmasur Vadh Bheelni
(Shabri) Bhakti Madan Dahan Maharas Makhan Chori (Ukhal Bandhan)
Madhavanal Kaam kandala Mareech Vadh Meera Giridhar Raam Leela
Rukmini Parinaya Udvav Leela Usha Anirudhh Urvashi Kaliya Daman
Krishna Leela Ganga Vataran Gaj aur Graah Geet Govind Govardhan
Leela Tripurasur Vadh Dashavtar Daan Leela Draupadi Cheer haran
Panghat Leela Lakshman Shakti Vaaman Avatar Vishwamitra- Menaka
Shiv Tandava Sati anusuya Sudaama Leela Surdaas
2.4.4 Krishna Customs in Kathak
Lord Krishnas romantic love for Radha symbolised mans love for
God. Always depicted as
an engaging young man of dark complexion and as such represented
a major concession by
the fair skinned Aryans to the original dark skinned inhabitants
of the Indian subcontinent.
Art of medieval India was dominated by Krishna theme. Krishna
legends became a
permanent feature of Kathak repertoire. In Mahabharata, Arjun
appears as a disciple of Lord
Krishna and there we come to know his major teachings that are
about Duty. The episodes
of his teachings were excellent subjects for poetry, music and
dance which in Vaishnavism
were important mode of worship.
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35 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
The Natyashastra describes ras and rasak as secondary forms of
drama, but today the
meaning is more specific and refers to the Ras which Krishna
danced with the Gopis of
Vrindavan.
Krishna as a young man was so attractive that all the Gopis were
in love with him and longed
for him constantly. Krishna, seeing that their love was sincere,
promised each one that he
would fulfil her desire by dancing with her by moonlight. One
night, when the moon was
full, the silvery notes of Krishnas flute echoed through the
forest. Each Gopi left her home
for the banks of the Yamuna, drawn by the irresistible call of
the flute. Here Krishna awaited
them. He projected himself in such a way that each Gopi had a
Krishna as a partner. They
formed a big circle and the dance began. So, enchanting was the
dance that even the gods
and goddesses were envious and wished they too could join in.
The dance lasted for six
months, yet when the Gopis returned home they found that their
husbands and families did
not even know they had been away.
There are five chapters in the
Bhagwad Puraana devoted to a
description of the Ras. The Rasleela is
found as a folk-drama in many parts
of India, but the Rasleela of Braj
deserves special mention. It was here
in the home of Krishna legends, that
it was first enacted in its present
form and has been danced in an
unbroken tradition since the
sixteenth century. The stage
techniques employed in Rasleelas are
very simple. The stage, on the same
level as the audience, is quite bare
except for a small square platform on
which there are two seats, for Radha
and Krishna. The only curtain used is
held up by two men when a special
dramatic effect is required, such as
before the jhankis or tableaux or
sometimes before the introduction of
a character. Jhankis puncture the
whole dance-drama and are an
important feature of it. They have
retained their authenticity and look
like sixteenth century miniatures
brought to life.
Figure 34 Pandit Anuj Mishra as Krishna & Neha Singh as
Radha
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36 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
The Rasleela may be divided into three distinct parts, the
prologue or nitya ras, the Sangeet
or didactic piece and finally the leela or play proper. The
dance drama has a traditional
opening with Radha and Krishna seen seated. First the chorus
sets the mood by singing
devotional songs. The Gopis then offer a puja and invite Radha
and Krishna to join the dance
in the ras mandal which is the actual dance area. They form a
circle and the ras begins.
The nitya ras introduces the chief characters but its main
interest lies in its dance content. It
is the only part of the dance-drama where stylized dance
movements and interesting
rhythmic pieces called parmuls, are used. These have a strong
affinity with the Kathak style
of the story tellers of the North Indian temples. There are
special parmuls for the
introduction of each character. This function of the parmuls can
be compared with that of
the pravesar Nritya of sattra ras, which has similar dance
pieces with distinctive bols for
Radha, Krishna and the Gopis. Parmuls are danced at speed and
have fast pirouettes. The
nitya ras also contains short dance pieces rather like the gaths
of Kathak, and even
incorporate graceful chaals and eyebrow movements. The
interesting choreography of the
nitya ras makes a colourful and exciting opening to the
Rasleela.
The Sangeet which comes next contains a sermon and devotional
songs and poems sung by
the chorus, since, for vaishnavites, the arts were a means of
devotion and were used by
them to teach people the traditions and practices of their
religion, it was not unusual to find
direct instruction such as sermons and expositions, sandwiched
between acts in dance
dramas. The Sangeet also served to remind people of the
religious aspects of the Radha-
Krishna legends.
The third and last part of dance drama is the leela or main
play. For this one story is chosen
from the great wealth of Vaishnavite mythology. The selected
story is then danced from
beginning to end in one long sequence, without breaks or
divisions into acts.
This part of the Rasleela is entirely in the folk tradition. The
gestures and abhinaya are a
part of everyday language, used and known instinctively by the
villagers. There is no single
pattern of presentation the characters may recite or sing their
lines, and the chorus may
repeat them. Sometimes the lines are explained in prose as they
are being recited. The
recitations are punctuated by short dances which include gaths,
and by jhankis. Although
the dancers appear to vary their styles a great deal they do,
nevertheless, follow the chosen,
carefully planned patterned of presentation. Much of the
tradition of sixteenth century
Vaishnavism has been preserved in the Rasleelas.
The numerous Radha Krishna miniatures show the same structure of
presentation and the
same costumes as are worn today, namely ghaghara, choli and
dupatta for women and
dhoti for men. Even the language has a sixteenth century
flavour, and the similes used give
an insight into the social conditions of those times.
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37 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
There is much speculation as to whether the Rasleela, which is a
folk art, has borrowed from
the classical style of north India. Certainly there are many
points of similarity between the
two, but these may have arisen because both deal with the same
Vaishnavite themes,
although Kathak is by no means restricted to these. Bhava in the
mime of the Rasleela, like
that of Kathak, is natural although not as developed.
2.5 Comparative studies of Kathak
Kathak and Rasleela
If we talk about the
similarities of Kathak
and Rasleela, both have
emerged from the same
geographical area i.e.
North India. Bhava in
Rasleela is not much
developed. It shares
much Vaishnavite poetry
which incorporated
dance bols and was
intended to be
expressed through
singing as well as
dancing. Kavita torah
(Kathak) and Kavita
(Rasleela) with dance bols are examples of this. Both the dances
were at peak at the same
time. Certain elements like gaths from Kathak permeated into the
Rasleela through the
influence of the professional Kathak dancers, so numerous and
popular at that time. Until
comparatively recently, the rasleela was performed mostly in
temple courtyards, and this
sustained its religious character. The dance itself is far from
the austere solemnity
associated with religion in western thinking. People enjoyed the
Rasleela. Through music,
poetry and dance they brought the happiness of their own lives
to their worship, but the
religious experience was, nonetheless, profound. The dance is no
longer confined to the
temples, but has not in any way lost its religious
significance.
During the festivals of vasant, holi and janmashtami, the fairs
of Vrindavan and Mathura
resound to the rhythms of the mridang and the streets are
crowded with pilgrims and
Figure 35 Painting depicting Raas leela
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38 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
visitors. The temples, decorated with buntings and marigolds,
are filled with the heavy
perfume of incense and the rhythmic chanting of Sanskrit hymns.
The intermittent call of
the conch shell penetrates the noise and bustle to remind the
happy crowd that this is
essentially a religious festival. These festivals would not
complete without performances of
rasleela in the ras mandals, dance enclosures, and the open
spaces around the town.
Meanwhile, the quiet glades and mango groves, so favoured for
love trysts, pulsate with the
fullness of life and the voice of the koel echoes to the throb
of the distant drums.
Kathak and Bharatnatyam
Kathak is a traditional dance that although started at
the same time when Bharatnatyam and therefore has
lots of similarities between them. Also, both the dance
forms were women central, but if we talk about
dissimilarities, there are many which make it two very
different Indian classical dance forms. Due to the
impact and interference of various cultures and
traditions, Kathak is not depended to any particular
textual source or book while if we see the techniques
of Bharatnatyam, it is completely emerged from Bharat
Munis Natyashastra and also depends upon various
instructions written in Sangeetratnaakar by
Shaangadeva. Earlier there were various names of
Kathak like natwari nritya, dhrupadnritya etc while
Bharatnatyam was known as Daasiattam in earlier
period. As Guru-shishya Parampara played a major
role in Kathak, although it does not continues the
same way till today but holds a strong position in the history
of Kathak, Gurus were known
as Nritya-Guru or dance gurus, while in Bharatnatyam they were
known as Nattuvan. The
performance of Kathak has few elements in sequence like that,
aamad, bol, tode-tukde,
paran-kavit, gat bhaav and tatkaar. The sequence of Bharatnatyam
consists of Allarippu,
Jaatiswaram, shabdam, varnam, padam and tillana. Dance form with
emotions and
expressions is performed on a technique named thumri which is in
braj language and
Bharatnatyam is done in Tamil or Telugu language. Tarana of
Kathak is very similar to tillana
of Bharatnatyam; the elements in both are very similar to each
other.
If we see the costume of the two, Kathak has a simple costume
majorly ghaghara or lehenga
but these days people also wear anarkali suits and sarees; but
in Bharatnatyam the costume
is very different from Kathak. They wear vibrant coloured
costume with sarees made of silk.
Kathak is a north Indian dance based on Hindustani music of
North India and uses the music
instruments like Harmonium, Baasuri, sitar, sarangi, tabla and
pakhwaaj while
Figure 36 An Artist performing Bharatnatyam
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39 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
Bharatnatyam which is based on South Indian Carnatic music.
There are a number of
musicians and instrumentalist who provide the musical
accompaniment. Typically there is
one or more vocalist, a person reciting the dance syllables, and
a mridangam. Additionally,
one usually finds violin, vina (saraswati vina), or venu (bamboo
flute). There is also a
thallam (manjira) which is usually played by the person reciting
the dance syllables. The
overall style of the Bharat Natyam musical accompaniment is not
unlike other Carnatic
performances. Kathak has two styles of dancing namely Temple and
court style and it
established in courts during Mughal era. Kathak once used to be
purely a spiritual dance
form but Bharatnatyam was and is still focused on spiritual and
religious elements.
Bharatnatyam is a proper temple dance and had never compromised
with the same. Being a
temple dance it comprises of the compositions made on Dev stuti
i.e. prayer dances
dedicated to Gods and Goddesses and includes tough dance
movements and techniques but
Kathak has a majority of compositions based on Krishna rasleela
that is romantic and the
dance movements and techniques are soft and gentle. Kathak
compositions were done by
people like Surdaas, Tulsidaas, Meerabai etc based on Braj
language and thumris which
requires more foot work but the dancers have a freedom of body
movements.
Bharatnatyam has the strictness to follow movements and
techniques as per the written
textual sources and the major compositions were done by people
like Swati Tirunal and
Purandardaam who focused them to religious narrations. Lastly,
the priority in
Bharatnatyam dance form is the acting and the body movements
unlike Kathak which
focuses on the Ghoonghru and foot work and is the most
experimental dance form of all.
Kathak and Folk Dances
Folk tradition is region based tradition inspired by its own
area and their customs. They have
various costumes and make ups for their communities like Dhobis,
Jatav, Kahaar, Kanjar,
Gadariya, Kumhar Kori, Barua, Ahir, Bediya, Banjaras, Nat and
dhadhi etc. Folk tradition can
laos be seen in minor communities and tribes which may be their
only medium of
entertainment. Kathak has not much differentiation in their
costumes and make ups as they
have three major gharanas: Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras and the
dressing is according to
them only. With respect to their gharanas, Kathak has its own
style, emotion and expression
which they convey through that, aamad, padant, gat nikas and
tode-tukde. Each of them is
unique in itself. Folk tradition have very simple rhythm and
measures like Kaharava, daadra
etc while Kathak has tough and complicated rhythms.
If we concentrate on the compositions of the two dances we see a
major difference in them.
When folk tradition has traditional folk stories to narrate,
Kathak presents the creation and
composition of Literature and poems. In folk dances, which is
presented in a group has a
single rasa in one composition unlike the navarasas used in
Kathak which was earlier a solo
dance because of being in the court but these days due to
choreographies it may or may not
be presented in a group. There are no rhythmic measures in the
folk dances or padhant but
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40 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
in Kathak- padhant is as important as dancing. There are no
stages in folk tradition, the
artists perform on the ground itself but a Kathak performance
requires proper stage and
special arrangements of sounds and lights are done. Where folk
dances are replications of
our ancient traditional heritage, in Kathak we can see the
extreme Mughal influence clearly.
Figure 37 Folk Dances of India
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41 | T h e E v e r s i o n o f K a t h a k
2.6 Textual Sources of Kathak
The interest in a virtually rediscovered heritage of classical
dancing in India in the early
twentieth century tells us that the art of dancing attracted not
only scholars but also
performing artists. This led to an eager search for the
historical sources of the art form and
this effort corresponded with the larger need of the nineteenth
century Indian renaissance
to authenticate its national identity by finding roots in a
glorious past. A new born faith in
the richness of the tradition was nourished by the fact that
numerous treatises on dance
and drama have come down to us from the classical age. These
were written between the
second and seventeenth century CE, the earliest being the
Natyashastra, attributed to
Bharata Muni. These works have exerted a profound influence on
modern studies in
classical Indian dancing. In particular, in their quest for the
roots of the tradition, both
scholars and artists have tried to establish a direct
relationship between all the classical
styles and the Natyashastra.
The enthusiastic interest in the reconstruction of the history
of dancing highlighted what
was seen as the unbroken continuity of a tradition. While there
is no doubt that the
tradition was indeed continuous, we must not think of it as an
unchanging one. Any critical
comparison of the technique of present day classical Indian
dancing with the art described
in Bharatas Natyashastra shows art forms that significantly
differ in details of techniques as
well as in broader aesthetic direction. How did this come about?
Our only way to trace the
evolution of dancing lies through the rich corpus of Sanskrit
manuals on dancing and
discussions in musicological literature in general