Odissi, also spelled
Orissi , is one of the eight
classical dance formsIndian classical dance is a relatively new umbrella term for various codified art forms rooted in Natya, the sacred Hindu musical theatre styles, whose theory can be traced back to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni .- Definitions :...
of
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It originates from the state of
OrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, in eastern
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the oldest surviving dance form of
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance,
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
, refers to it as
Odra-Magadhi. 1
st century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of
UdaygiriUdayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription...
(near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the
British RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, but has been reconstructed since
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
gained independence.
It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the
Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as
Chauka or
Chouka that symbolizes
Lord JagannathJagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
. This dance is characterized by various
Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures. The common
Bhangas are
Bhanga,
Abanga,
Atibhanga and
Tribhanga.
Origin and History
The first clear picture of Odissi dance is found in the Manchapuri cave in
UdayagiriUdayagiri is a Buddhist complex in Orissa composed of major stupas and monasteries , similar to Ratnagiri, and together with Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri part of Puspagiri University. As per epigraphical artifacts found here, its historical name was “Madhavapura Mahavihara.”Numerous excavations by the...
which was carved during the time of Emperor
KharavelaKhārabēḷa was the third and greatest emperor of the Mahāmēghabāhana Dynasty of Kaḷinga . The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in a cave in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar, Orissa.During the reign of Khārabēḷa, the Chedi...
. Flanked by two queens, Emperor
KharavelaKhārabēḷa was the third and greatest emperor of the Mahāmēghabāhana Dynasty of Kaḷinga . The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in a cave in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar, Orissa.During the reign of Khārabēḷa, the Chedi...
was watching a dance recital where a damsel was performing a dance in front of the court along with the company of female instrumentalists. Thus, Odissi can be traced back to its origin as secular dance. Later it got attached with the temple culture of Orissa. Starting with the rituals of
Jagannath temple-India:*Jagannath Temple, Puri, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Koraput, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Nayagarh, Orissa, India*Jagannath Temple, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India*Jagannath Temple, Delhi, India...
in
PuriPuri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
it was regularly performed in Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Sakta temples in Orissa. An inscription is found where it was engraved that a
DevadasiIn Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
Karpursri’s attachment to Buddhist monastery, where she was performing along with her mother and grandmother. It proves that Odissi first originated as a court dance. Later, it was performed in all religious places of
JainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
as well as Buddhist monasteries. Odissi was initially performed in the temples as a religious offering by the Maharis who dedicated their lives in the services of God. It has the closest resemblance with sculptures of the Indian temples.
The history of Odissi dance has been traced to an early sculptures found in the Ranigumpha caves at
UdaygiriUdayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription...
(Orissa), dating to the 2
nd century BCE. Odissi appears to be the oldest classical dance rooted in rituals and tradition. In fact, the
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
refers to
Odra-Magadhi as one of the
Vrittis and
Odra refers to Orissa.
Temple history
In
BhubaneswarBhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
, the capital city of
OrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
,
Udayagiri Caves, Khandagiri CavesUdayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription...
and Jain Caves are present which date back to the 2
nd century BCE, that served as a royal palace for Emperor
KharavelaKhārabēḷa was the third and greatest emperor of the Mahāmēghabāhana Dynasty of Kaḷinga . The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in a cave in the Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar, Orissa.During the reign of Khārabēḷa, the Chedi...
. It is suggested by scholars that Odissi is archaeologically the oldest Indian classical dance form due to sculptural evidence found in the caves. There are several sculptures of dancers and musicians are in
Konark Sun TempleKonark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple , at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is an example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty...
and
BrahmeswaraBrahmeswara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva located in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, erected at the end of the 9th century AD, is richly carved inside and out. This Hindu temple can be dated with fair accuracy by the use of inscriptions that were originally on the temple...
temple in
BhubaneswarBhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
.
In the excavated ruins of the Buddhist
RatnagiriRatnagiri was once the site of a mahavihara, or major Buddhist monastery, in the Brahmani and Birupa river valley in Jajpur district of Orissa, India...
hills in Orissa, dating back to the 6
th thru 9
th centuries, several panels and icons of dance are found resembling present-day Odissi dance.
In the
TantricTantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
temples, such as the Hirapur Shrine, many of the
yoginiYogini is the complete form source word of the masculine yogi- and neutral/plural "yogin." Far from being merely a gender tag to the all things yogi, "Yogini" represents both a female master practitioner of Yoga, and a formal term of respect for a category of modern female spiritual teachers in...
s especially are depicted in poses reminiscent of present day Odissi. When
OrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
became a big centre of worship of Lord
ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, it is only natural that dance would be used as a form of worship, since Lord Shiva was a master dancer himself. He is also known as
NatarajNataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
, the Cosmic Lord of Dance. The Shaivite temples of
BhubaneswarBhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
display innumerable sculptures in postures of Odissi. The Vaishnavite Temples such as Jagannath Temple and
Konark Sun TempleKonark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple , at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is an example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty...
abound with an array of dancing sculptures carved into the temple walls, giving testimony that a particular school of dancing had continued from the Shaivite art tradition to the Vaishnavite art form.
Manuscript evidence
Sage Bharata's
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
, written in 2
nd century CE, speaks of four types of
Pravrittis (local usages):
Avanti, Dakshinatya, Panchali, and
Odra Magadhi, and the areas where each type is employed. Some scholars have interpreted that
Odra Magadhi is a reference to Odissi, in fact, "the earliest literary reference to Odissi”.
Abhinaya Chandrika written by Maheshvara Mahapatra is a detailed study of the movements of the feet, hands, the standing postures, the movement and the dance repertoire. It includes illustrations of the Karanãs mentioned in
NãtyaShãstra.
The illustrated manuscript
Shilpaprakãsha deals with Oriya architecture and sculpture as well as the figures of dance. In this, one finds a elaborate analysis of the manner in which the salabhanjikãs or the feminine figures called the
Alasa Kanyas are carved in the temple. The illustrations of
Shilpaprakãsha reinforces the evidence of sculpture in temples.
A rather unexpected source, the Jain Manuscripts, especially the
Kalpasutra and
Kalkacharya Kathãs show traces of Oriya dance style although they were being executed in
Gujarat. The marginal figures of dancers show women in poses and movements similar to the distinctive style of Odissi. For example, in one of the famous illustrated Jain Manuscripts called the
Devasanpada Kalpasutra (1501,
JamnagarJamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
), there is depiction of the
Samapada, the
Tribhangi and the
Chuaka.
This shows that there was a great deal of mobility between east and west and many migrations took place. According to some historians, there were groups of dancers who were brought to
PuriPuri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
from
Gujarat and Andhra.
Mughal and British period
During the Mughal rule of India, the duties of the maharis (the temple dancers) shifted, as they were employed to entertain the royal family and courtiers in the royal courts. They became associated with concubinage in respect to the king and ceased to be respected solely as servants to Lord
JagannathJagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
. Although the British have helped India in several ways, a decline and degradation occurred in all the Indian Classical dance styles during the British period, especially when a bill was passed prohibiting temple dancing. Most of these dancers, losing their well-deserved place in society, were forced to prostitution to survive in the changing climate of political and cultural oppression of the British.
Tradition and dancers
The Odissi tradition existed in three schools:
Mahari, Nartaki, and
Gotipua.
- Maharis were Oriya devadasi
In Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
s or temple girls, their name deriving from Maha (great) and ‘Nari’ or ‘Mahri’ (chosen) particularly those at the temple of Jagganath at PuriPuri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
. Early Maharis performed mainly Nritta (pure dance) and AbhinayaAbhinaya is a concept in Indian dance and drama derived from Bharata's Natya Shastra. Although now, the word has come to mean 'the art of expression', etymologically it derives from Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide', so literally it means a 'leading towards' Aside from its clear...
(interpretation of poetry) based on MantraA mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s and SlokaSloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
s. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's Gita GovindaThe Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
. Bhitari Gauni Maharis were allowed in the inner temple while Bahari Gauni Maharis, though in the temples, were excluded from the sanctum sanctorum.
- By the 6th century the Gotipua tradition was emerging. One of the reasons given for the emergence of Gotipuas is that Vaishnavas
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
did not approve of dancing by women. Gotipuas were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. During this period, VaishnavaVaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
poets composed innumerable lyrics in OriyaOriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
dedicated to RadhaRadha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism...
and KrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. Gotipuas danced to these compositions. The Gotipuas stepped out of the precincts of the temples.
- Nartaki dance took place in the royal courts, where it was much cultivated before the British period. At that time the misuse of devadasis came under strong attack, so that Odissi dance withered in the temples and became unfashionable at court. Only the remnants of the gotipua school remained, and the reconstruction of the style required an archaeological and anthropological effort that has tended to foster a conservative purism.
Mahari tradition
The consecration of females to the service of temple dancing began in the Shaivite temples and continued in the Jagannath temple in service of the Lord Jagannath. These attendants have been known as maharis (great women) or devadasis (servants of the lord) and have been considered the wives of Lord Jagannath. Odissi developed through their art.
The first evidence of the Mahari institution in Orissa comes from a commemorative inscription by Udyota Kesari, the last King of the dynasty. In the 10th century the King’s mother, Kolavati Devi, dedicated temple dancers to Lord Shiva in the Brahmeswar Temple.
Raja Anantavarma Chodagangadeva appointed dancing girls for ritual services in the Jagannatha temple in the 11th century, and these Maharis were the ones responsible for keeping the dance alive for centuries.
Through the technique of unequal division of weight and firm footwork balancing a fluid upper torso, the dancer achieves a sensuality that is uncommon in other classical dance styles.
Some eminent Mahari dancers are Moni Mahari, Dimmi (Domi) Mahari, Dungri Mahari (Harapriya), and Padmashri Guru Pankaj Charan Das.
Gotipua tradition
In the Oriya language Gotipua means
single boy. Gotipua dance is performed only by boys who dress up as females.
During the rule of King Prataprudra Dev, who was a follower of Sri Chaitanya, started this boy dancing tradition again as Vasishnavs were not approving of the females in to dance practices.
Dance vocabulary and repertoire
Traditional Odissi repertoire consists of:
Mangalacharana: It's an invocation piece. After paying homage to Lord
JagannathJagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
a
slokaA ' is a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anuṣṭubh. It is the basis for Indian Epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse form par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry. The Mahabharata and Ramayana, for...
(hymn) in praise of some God or Goddess is sung, the meaning of which is brought out through dance. Mangalacharan also includes the
Bhumi Pranam (salutation to Mother Earth) which is offered to Mother Earth as a way of begging forgiveness for stamping on her and the
Trikhandi Pranam or the Three-fold salutation - above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to the Gurus and in front of the chest to the Audience.
Battu Nrutya: Also known as
Sthayee Nrutya or
Batuka Bhairava (Furious Dance) it is performed in the honor of
Lord ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
- the cosmic Lord of Dance. It is one of the 64 furious-aspects of
Lord ShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
known. The origin of dance is believed to be from Tantrism that had flourished in
OrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
.
Linga Purana and
Mahanirvanatantra give an elaborate description of
Batuka Bhairava in three aspects, and the results of their worship have also been explained elaborately in the texts.
Batu Nrutya is an item of pure
Nrutya (Dance)and remains the most difficult item of Odissi dance. The dance begins with a series of sculpturesque poses depicting such actions as the playing of a
Veena (Lute),
Mardala or
PakhawajThe pakhavaj, pakhawaj, pakuaj, pakhvaj or pakavaj is an Indian barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, the North Indian equivalent to the Southern mridangam....
(Drum),
Karatala (Cymbals) and
Venu (Flute), that brings out the interrelationships between this dance and the dance sculptures adorning the temples of Orissa. These poses are stringed together with steps in different rhythms. There is no song or recitation accompanying the dance, but throughout the item a refrain of rhythmic syllables is provided. The accompanying refrain is in the form of one line of
Ukuta and as this is recited in the
TalaTāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
, different
Jathi-patterns are improvised and are executed with the feet. Some
TalaTāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
variations are introduced and each sequence of the dance terminates with a
Tehdi known as
Katam. The last sequence is always in
Jhula Pahapata Tala and is performed with a fast tempo.
Pallavi: A pure dance item in which a
ragaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
is elaborated through eye movements, body postures & intricate footwork. Pallavi literally means “blossoming”. This is applicable not only to the dance, but also to the music, which accompanies it. Pallavi starts with slow, graceful & lyrical movements of the eyes, neck, torso & feet & slowly builds in a crescendo to climax in a fast tempo at the end. Both the dance and the music evolve in complexity as the dancer traces multiple patterns in space, interpreting the music dexterously in the multilayered dimensions of taal (rhythm) and laya (speed).
Abhinaya: An expressional dance which is an enactment of a song or poetry, where a story conveyed to the audience through
mudraA mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
s (hand gestures), facial expression, eye movement and body movement. The dance is fluid, very graceful, and sensual. Abhinaya can be performed on verses in
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
or
OriyaOriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
language. The verses are extremely ornate in content and suggestion. Most common are Abhinayas on
Oriya songs or
Sanskrit Ashthapadis or
Sanskrit stutis like
Dasavatar Stotram (depicting the ten incarnations of
Lord VishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
) or
ArdhanariArdhanarishvara , is a composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati . Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half male and half female, split down the middle...
Stotram. Most of the Abhinaya compositions are based on the Radha-Krishna theme. The Astapadis of the kãvya
Gita GovindaThe Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
written by the Saint Jayadev are an integral part of its repertoire. The beginning pieces are dedicated to
Lord JagannathaJagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
- an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Dance drama: Usually longer than Abhinaya and typically performed by more than one dancers. Some of the much appreciated dance dramas composed by Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra are: Sudama Dharitra Bhanjana, Mathamani Pradhana, Balya Leela, Rutu Samhara, Krishna Sudama, Dushmanta Sakuntala, Utkala Mauda Mani, Yagnaseni, Meghadoot, Kumara Sambhava, Sapan Nayaka. Usually Hindu mythologies are chosen as themes, but experimenting with the theme and form in recent years have led to extremely unique creations. Some worth-mentioning themes in recent years are Panchakanya, Ganga yamuna, Shrita kamalam, Mrutyuh and Tantra.
Moksha: The concluding item of a recital. Moksha means “spiritual liberation”. This dance represents a spiritual culmination for the dancer who soars into the realm of pure aesthetic delight. Movement and pose merge to create ever new patterns, ever new designs in space and time. The dance moves onto a crescendo that is thrilling to both, the eye and the ear. With the cosmic sound of the “Om”, the dance dissolves into nothingness — just like Moksha or the deliverance of the soul in real life.
Odissi terminology
Alap: It is the opening section of a typical Indian classical performance. It is unmetered, improvised (within the
ragaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
) and unaccompanied (except for the drone of the Tanpura), and is started at a slow tempo.
Anadha: Hide category of the 4 musical divisions, e.g. Mardala or
PakhawajThe pakhavaj, pakhawaj, pakuaj, pakhvaj or pakavaj is an Indian barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, the North Indian equivalent to the Southern mridangam....
(Drum),
TablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
, and
Mridangam.
Asanjukta Dhvanis: Sound created by striking the Mardala or
PakhawajThe pakhavaj, pakhawaj, pakuaj, pakhvaj or pakavaj is an Indian barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, the North Indian equivalent to the Southern mridangam....
(Drum) with one hand.
Avartan(a): One complete cycle of a taal.
Bani: Odissi term used to describe the spoken drum neumonics. During dance performances Bani are spoken by the percussionist or the guru.
Bhaga: In taal, this would be the groups the taal is divided into. Also the points on which the tali, or khali would be. e.g., Adital (Odissi) is divided into 4 groups of 4 beats. It is said that Adital has 4 Bhago. These are the measures. Odissi music term.
Bhajan: It is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a
MantraA mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
or
KirtanKirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
or as sophisticated as the
DhrupadDhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
or
Kriti-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
with music based on classical
RagaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s and
TalasTāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine.
Chanda: In tal, this would be how the divisions of the tal are divided. e.g., in Adital (Odissi), the sixteen beats are divided into 4 groups of 4. So the Chanda for Adital is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4. This describes what the Bhagas are.
Devadasis: They were the original temple dancers who were "Servitress of God". They were dedicated to a deity or a temple. Apart from taking care of the temple and performing various rituals, these women learned and practiced Odissi dance, for dance and music were an essential part of temple worship. They enjoyed a high social status.
Gita GovindaThe Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
:
Poet Jayadev'sJayadeva was a Sanskrit poet circa 1200 AD. He is most known for his composition, the epic poem Gita Govinda, which depicts the divine love of Krishna-an avatar of Vishnu and his consort, Radha, and it is mentioned that Radha is greater than Hari, and is considered an important text in the...
famous work depicting the relationship of
RadhaRadha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism...
,
KrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and
GopiGopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and...
s in
VrindavanVrindavan also known as Vraj is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India...
. Themes from this work have a great significance towards the classical arts of
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Goti: These are barrel-shaped tension pegs made of wood which adorn the Mardala or
PakhawajThe pakhavaj, pakhawaj, pakuaj, pakhvaj or pakavaj is an Indian barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, the North Indian equivalent to the Southern mridangam....
(Drum). The straps (
Pitha) connecting the two apertures of the Mardala run over them. These pegs can be moved to either increase or decrease the tension of the leather membranes covering the two apertures of the Mardala and are useful in tuning it.
Gotipua: Young boys trained in the fine art of Odissi dance. The Gotipuas were allowed to leave the temple and dance for the public. The current form of Odissi is heavily influenced by the Gotipua tradition (and also the temple carvings from Orissa.)
Khanda Ukutta: When bani and ukuttas are formed together to make phrases. e.g., Kititaka gadigana. Odissi term.
Mana: The ending sequence that is repeated to designate that the ending of the piece or of a section. Typically in 3 repeats. Odissi term. People in Orissa inter change Tihai and Mano. But they mean the same.
Maharis or Devadasis: The original temple dancers of Orissa, but now extinct. This is the root of Odissi dance that was later taught to young boys, Gotipuas. The style is now modernized and work is being done to preserve it.
Odissi music
Odissi dance is accompanied by
Odissi musicOdissi music is a classical music in India originated from the eastern state of Orissa. Indian Classical music has five significant branches: Avanti, Panchali, Odramagadhi, Hindustani and carnatic. Of these, Odramagadhi exists in the form of Odissi music. Generally, Odissi dance is one of the...
.
Odissi musicOdissi music is a classical music in India originated from the eastern state of Orissa. Indian Classical music has five significant branches: Avanti, Panchali, Odramagadhi, Hindustani and carnatic. Of these, Odramagadhi exists in the form of Odissi music. Generally, Odissi dance is one of the...
is a synthesis of four classes of music, i.e.
Dhruvapada,
Chitrapada,
Chitrakala and
Panchal Panchal is an Indian title, in tune with the Hindu caste system, that represents some of the castes that are predominant in the Indian state of Gujarat that are either agriculturalists or blacksmiths.-Ethnicity:...
. The
Dhruvapada is the first line or lines to be sung repeatedly.
Chitrapada means the arrangement of words in an alliterative style. The use of art in music is called
Chitrakala.
Kavisurya Baladeva Rath, the renowned Oriya poet wrote lyrics, which are the best examples of
Chitrakala. All of these were combined to form the style that's peculiar to Odissi music.
Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The
Chhandas were composed by combining
Bhava (theme),
Kala (time), and
Swara (tune). The
Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four (34) letters of the Oriya alphabet from
'Ka' to
'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line.
A special feature of Odissi music is the
padi which consists of words to be sung in
Druta Tala (fast beat). Odissi music can be sung to different
talasTāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
:
Navatala (nine beats),
Dashatala (ten beats) or
Egartala (eleven beats). Odissi
ragaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s are different from the
ragaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s of Hindustani and Karnataki classical music. The primary Odissi ragas are
Kalyana,
Nata,
Shree Gowda,
Baradi,
Panchama,
Dhanashri,
Karnata,
Bhairavee and
Shokabaradi.
Odissi music is sung through
Raganga,
Bhabanga and
Natyanga Dhrubapadanga followed by
Champu,
Chhanda,
Chautisa,
Pallabi,
BhajanA Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
,
Janana, and
Gita GovindaThe Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
, which are considered to be a part of the repertoire of Odissi or an allied act form of Odissi.
Odissi music has codified grammars, which are presented with specific Raagas. It has also a distinctive rendition style. It is lyrical in its movement with wave-like ornamentation. The pace of singing in Odissi is not very fast nor too slow, and it maintains a proportional tempo which is very soothing.
Costume and Jewelry
See also: TarakashiTarakasi is a type of silver Filigree work from Cuttack, a city from Orissa in the eastern part of India.-Origin:This highly skilled art form is more than 500 years old and is traditionally done by local artisans on the Eastern shores of Orissa. Presently, the silver filigree workers are largely...
and Sambalpuri SareeSambalpuri Saree , is a traditional handwoven Ikkat sari or saree wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. It is produced in the Bargarh, Sonepur, Sambalpur and nearby districts of Orissa...
The jewelry is made from intricate filigree silver jewelry pieces.
FiligreeFiligree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver or stitching of the same curving motifs. It often suggests lace, and in recent centuries remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork, and French from 1660 to the late 19th century...
, in French, means “thin wire,” and in Oriya it is called
Tarakasi. This highly skilled art form is more than 500 years old and is traditionally done by local artisans on the eastern shores of Orissa. The jewelry pieces themselves are an important part of the Odissi dancer’s costume. They are the
tikkaTikka may refer to:* Tikka , a type of Indian food * Tikka , a mark made on the forehead by Hindu Indians...
(forehead ornament),
allaka (head piece on which the tikka hangs), unique ear covers in intricate shapes, usually depicting a peacock’s feathers, with
jimkis (bell shaped earrings) hanging from them, two necklaces- a smaller necklace worn close to the neck and a longer necklace with a hanging pendant, and two sets of bangles worn on the upper arm and wrist. The process of creating each piece takes the collaboration of many artisans each specialized in one step of the many that turns a lump of raw silver into a handcrafted work of art.
Head piece
The crown or
Mukoot or
Mookut, worn by the Odissi dancer is made only in the devotional city of
PuriPuri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
in Eastern Orissa. It is formed from the dried reeds called
Sola in a tradition called
Sola Kama. The reed is carved by a series of cuts into the rod-like stem and forms various types of flowers when a string is tied in the middle of the rod and pulled tight. As the string is tightened, the flowers shape into Jasmines, Champa (one of the five flowers of Lord Krishna’s arrows), and Kadamba (the flowers of the tree under which Radha would wait for her beloved Lord Krishna).
The
Mukoot consists of two parts i.e.
Ghoba and
Tahiya. The flower decorated back piece, called the
Ghoba, sits around the dancer’s hair pulled into a bun at the back of the head. This piece represents the Lotus flower with a thousand petals that lies above the head in the head Chakra, or energy center. The longer piece that emerges from the center of the back piece is called the
Tahiya, and this represents the temple spire of Lord
JagannathJagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
or the
fluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
of Lord
KrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
.
The Saree worn by Odissi dancers are generally coloured with bright shades of orange, purple, red or green. This Saree features traditional prints of
OrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and shiny embellishment. This costume is drapped around the body in unique traditional way unlike other classical dance forms of India. Generally
Sambalpuri SareeSambalpuri Saree , is a traditional handwoven Ikkat sari or saree wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. It is produced in the Bargarh, Sonepur, Sambalpur and nearby districts of Orissa...
is being used in Odissi dance more than any other type of Sarees. The makeup of an Odissi dancer includes
BindiA bindi is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia . and Southeast Asia...
(red dot), applied on the forehead with a pattern made from sandalwood around it, Kajal (black eyeliner), applied around the eyes with a broad outline to give them an elongated look, among others.
Odissi gurus and performers
Padma Vibushan
Kelucharan MohapatraGuru Kelucharan Mohapatra was an Indian classical dancer, guru and proponent of Odissi dance, who is credited for the revival of the classical dance form in the 20th century....
, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties.
Sanjukta PanigrahiSanjukta Panigrahi was a dancer of India, who was the foremost exponent of Indian classical dance Odissi...
, the great exponent of Odissi, was a leading disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's and popularized Odissi by performing extensively, both in India and abroad. In the mid-sixties, two other disciples of Kelucharan Mohapatra, Kumkum Mohanty and
Sonal MansinghDr. Sonal Mansingh is an eminent Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Odissi dancing style; who is also proficient in other Indian classical dancing styles including Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, and Chhau.-Early life and background:...
, were best known for their performances, both in India and abroad. Shrimati Laximipriya Mohapatra performed a piece of Odissi abhinaya in the Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack in 1948. This is widely upheld as the first ever performance of a classical Odissi dance item after its contemporary revival.
Padma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
Mayadhar RautGuru Mayadhar Raut is an Indian classical Odissi dancer and Guru.-Early life and education:Mayadhar Raut was born in the village Kantapenhara in Cuttack district, subsequently he received his dance training under the Guru-shishya tradition of Odissi by Rukmini Devi Arundale at Kalakshetra.He is...
also played a major role in giving Odissi dance its classical status. He introduced
Mudra Vinyoga in 1955 and
Sancharibhava in the Odissi dance items, and presented on stage the enchanting
Gita GovindaThe Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
Ashthapadis, portraying
Shringara Rasa. His notable compositions include
Pashyati Dishi Dishi and
Priya Charu Shile, composed in 1961.
[ http://orissadiary.com/personality/artist/Padmashri-Guru-Mayadhar-Raut.asp Orissa Diary ]
Most of the present day gurus were Gotipua dancers themselves, and have trained dancers and teachers all over India and abroad. In the early fifties, the outside world began to take note of Odissi. Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi and Dr. Susama Tej represented Orissa in the classical dance category at the Inter University Youth Festival, New Delhi, in 1954 and 1955. It was here that Dr. Charles Fabri witnessed their performances, hailed Odissi as a great classical dance form, and helped Indrani Rehman and
Sonal MansinghDr. Sonal Mansingh is an eminent Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Odissi dancing style; who is also proficient in other Indian classical dancing styles including Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, and Chhau.-Early life and background:...
study it. Sadly, Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi left for the US for 16 long years, where she hardly performed, barring a recital or two here and there. She returned to India only in the mid-nineteen seventies, by which time well known dancers had already occupied a permanent and prominent space on the Odissi horizon, and by which time Odissi had evolved considerably. The baton in India was wielded gloriously, and with outstanding success and public acclaim, by Sanjukta Panigrahi, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansingh, each of whom was a major and distinctive star.
Kelucharan MohapatraGuru Kelucharan Mohapatra was an Indian classical dancer, guru and proponent of Odissi dance, who is credited for the revival of the classical dance form in the 20th century....
, Pankaj Charan Das, Deba Prasad Das, Raghunath Dutta, Bandana Das, Cuckoo Meena Mohanty, Dr. Nandita Samuel, Kumkum Mohanty,
Mayadhar RautGuru Mayadhar Raut is an Indian classical Odissi dancer and Guru.-Early life and education:Mayadhar Raut was born in the village Kantapenhara in Cuttack district, subsequently he received his dance training under the Guru-shishya tradition of Odissi by Rukmini Devi Arundale at Kalakshetra.He is...
, Minati Misra, Oopali Operajita, Protima Bedi, Ritha Devi,
Sanjukta PanigrahiSanjukta Panigrahi was a dancer of India, who was the foremost exponent of Indian classical dance Odissi...
, Sonal Mansingh and Surendranath Jena contributed notably to the propagation of Odissi, starting in the fifties, right up to the eighties and nineties: the golden years of the Odissi renaissance.
Eminent contemporary gurus and performers in alphabetic order include
Aloka Kanungo, Aruna Mohanty, Bichitrananda Swain, Bijayini Satpathy, Chitralekha Patnaik, Daksha Mashruwala, Dibakar Khuntia,
Dr. Bidisha Mohanty, Durga Charan Ranbir,
Gangadhar PradhanGangadhar Pradhan was an eminent Odissi exponent and teacher, who also founded the Odissi Nritya Mandap in Puri in 1986 and organised several dance festivals in the temple city during his lifetime...
, Gita Mahalik, Harekrishna Behra, Ileana Citaristi,
Jhelum Paranjape, Jyoti Rout, Kasturi Pattanaik, Kiran Segal, Kumkum Lal, Madhavi Mudgal,
Madhumita RautMadhumita Raut is an Indian classical dancer of Odissi. She is the daughter of Mamta Khuntia and Mayadhar Raut, who revived Odissi in the 1950s with Shastra-based knowledge....
http://www.madhumitaraut.com, Manoranjan Pradhan, Meera Das, Muralidhar Majhi,
Nandita BeheraNandita Behera is an Odissi dance instructor and founder of Odissi Dance Circle in Cerritos, California. A student of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Nandita Behera has been teaching Odissi in California for the past twenty years...
, Natabar Maharana, Oopali Operajita, Poushali Mukherjee, Ramani Ranjan Jena, Ramli Ibrahim, Ranjana Gauhar, Ratikant Mohapatra, Ratna Roy, Sharmila Biswas, Sharmila Mukherjee,
Sharon LowenSharon Lowen is a renowned Odissi dancer, trained since 1975 by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She has performed and choreographed for film and television and presented hundreds of concerts throughout India, North America, Asia, Africa, the United Kingdom. and the Middle East...
, Snehaprava Samantaray,
Sonal MansinghDr. Sonal Mansingh is an eminent Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Odissi dancing style; who is also proficient in other Indian classical dancing styles including Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, and Chhau.-Early life and background:...
, Sri Mahdeva Raut, Srinath Raut,
Sujata MohapatraSujata Mohapatra is an eminent Indian classical dancer and teacher of Odissi dancing style.-Early life and background:Sujata Mohapatra was born in Balasore in 1968....
, Surupa Sen, Sutapa Talukdar, Trinath Maharana and several others around the world.
Some of the upcoming Odissi performers in alphabetic order are Aadya Kaktikar, Arushi Mudgal, Ayona Bhaduri, Bani Ray, Bijay Sahoo,
Devraj PatnaikDevraj Patnaik is a Canadian-born music composer, musician, percussionist, and dance choreographer, teacher, and performer.-Early life:Devraj Patnaik was born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, the son of Chitralekha Patnaik...
,
Ellora PatnaikEllora Patnaik is a Indian Canadian film and theatre actress and Odissi dancer.-Early life:Ellora was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ellora is the first child of her parents , Promod and Chitralekha Patnaik, who were born in the state of Orissa, India, and emigrated to Canada in the 1960s...
,
Kaustavi Sarkar, Kavita Dwivedi, Lingaraj Pradhan, Madhusmita Mohanty,
Masako Onois a Japanese Odissi dancer. She has lived in India since 1996.Ono was selected as one of the 100 most respected and outstanding Japanese in the world in their respective fields by the Japanese issue of Newsweek in 2008, and was featured in a documentary series, First Japanese.-Biography:Ono...
, Niharika Mohanty, Pabitra Kumar Pradhan,
Puspita Mishra,
Rahul Acharya, Rajashree Chintak Behera, Rajashri Praharaj, Rajika Puri, Ramesh Chandra Jena, Rekha Tandon, Sandhyadipa Kar,
Saswat Joshi, Saswati Garai-Ghosh, Shibani Patnaik, Shreelina Ghosh, Sonali Mishra, Sreyashi Dey, Vishnu Tattwa Das, Yudhistir Nayak and several others around the world.
In India
1993: Dressed in a resplendent orange
sanyasin dhoti (probably inspired by the Mayurbhanj Chau costume worn in Shiva Tandava items), renowned actress Meenakshi Sheshadri danced a tandava item composed chiefly in Odissi in the film
Damini – LightningDamini - Lightning is a 1993 Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi starring Rishi Kapoor, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri, Tinu Anand and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. The story is of how a woman fights against society for justice....
.
1996: Rekha was seen imparting Odissi dance lessons (Shikhandika pose) to a group of young learners, while Indira Varma was shown learning Odissi steps to the accompaniment of the mardala in Mira Nair's magnum opus film
Kama Sutra: A Tale of LoveKama Sutra: A Tale of Love is a 1996 American drama film directed by Mira Nair. The film takes its title from the ancient Indian text, the Kama Sutra, but this only serves as a common link between the characters....
.
2003: Rani Mukherjee performed a dance at the
International Indian Film Academy AwardsThe International Indian Film Academy Awards, also known as the IIFA Awards are presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi language film industry. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in...
function dressed in Odissi costume and a number of celebrated Odissi expressed disapproval for insulting the integrity of the dance and the costume.
2007: An entire sequence of dance in Odissi costume was featured near the end of the Bollywood movie
Bhool BhulaiyaaBhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
and was performed by actress
Vidya BalanVidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
and Malayalam actor
VineethVineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore...
.
2009: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who took Odissi lessons for an India-China joint film venture,
The DesireThe Desire-Journey of a Woman is an upcoming Indo-Chinese feature film, directed by R. Sarath. Starring Shilpa Shetty in lead role, the film also stars Chinese actor Xia Yu along with Indian actors and actresses as Jaya Prada, Anupam Kher, Sheetal Menon and Sachin Khedekar...
loosely based on the life of Odissi dancer Pratima Gauri Bedi.
Outside India
1991: A short (23 second) Odissi dance scene was featured in
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's music video of Black or White. The legendary pop-singer and dancer performs some Odissi, too.
1998:
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
danced along with Odissi dancers live on stage during the 1998 MTV Award ceremony. US-based Odissi performers, Patnaik Sisters, were chosen to choreograph and perform alongside the legendary pop artist.
Further reading
- Odissi : What, Why and How… Evolution, Revival and Technique, by Madhumita Raut
Madhumita Raut is an Indian classical dancer of Odissi. She is the daughter of Mamta Khuntia and Mayadhar Raut, who revived Odissi in the 1950s with Shastra-based knowledge....
. Published by B. R. Rhythms, Delhi, 2007. ISBN 81-88827-10-X.
- Odissi Yaatra: The Journey of Guru Mayadhar Raut, by Aadya Kaktikar (ed. Madhumita Raut
Madhumita Raut is an Indian classical dancer of Odissi. She is the daughter of Mamta Khuntia and Mayadhar Raut, who revived Odissi in the 1950s with Shastra-based knowledge....
). Published by B. R. Rhythms, Delhi, 2010. ISBN 978-8-18-882721-3.
- Odissi Dance, by Dhirendranath Patnaik. Published by Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1971.
- Odissi - The Dance Divine, by Ranjana Gauhar and Dushyant Parasher. Published by Niyogi Books, 2007. ISBN 81-89738-17-8.
- Odissi, Indian Classical Dance Art: Odisi Nritya, by Sunil Kothari
Dr. Sunil Kothari is a noted Indian dance historian, scholar and critic. He is also former Uday Shankar Professor at Ravindra Bharti University, Kolkata....
, Avinash Pasricha. Marg Publications, 1990. ISBN 81-85026-13-0.
- Perspectives on Odissi Theatre, by Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi, Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi. Published by Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1998.
- Abhinaya-chandrika and Odissi dance, by Maheshwar Mahapatra, Alekha Chandra Sarangi, Sushama Kulshreshthaa, Maya Das. Published by Eastern Book Linkers, 2001. ISBN 81-7854-010-X.
- Rethinking Odissi, by Dinanath Pathy. Published by Harman Pub. House, 2007. ISBN 81-86622-88-8.
External links