Fine Arts - Dances

The Indian dance is one of the oldest art that has been through a steady development for nearly two thousand years. The Indian classical dance has its origin in the temples where it was used to illustrate the Hindu mythologies.This art was performed in the temples by the Devadasis, ladies who dedicated themselves to God. With the passage of time, this form of art was used both as a means to worship God and a way to express one's emotion or state of mind. This form of art is based on the Natya Shastra, written by Sage Bharata. The supreme manifestation of the Indian dance is Lord Shiva, also referred as Lord Nataraja. All dance forms follow the same gestures or hasta mudras for each of these rasas. The major schools of classical dance in India are Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Bharatha Natyam, Kuchipudi , Kathakali and Mohiniattam, apart from the Folk and Tribal dances.