Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra (~200 BCE) is the foundational text of Indian classical performing arts. 6000 sutras across 36 adhyayas. Called the "5th Veda" - composed of the essence of the four Vedas (Rig recitation, Sama music, Yajur acting, Atharva rasa). Below: 8 classical dance forms recognised by Sangeet Natak Akademi, 9 rasas (the emotional palette), Carnatic + Hindustani music traditions, marquee instruments, and the 108 karanas.
Signature - Elaborate face makeup (1-6 hours per performance). Massive costume with green + red + black face-paint. Mainly male dancers. Stories from Mahabharata + Ramayana.
Themes: Pakka epic narratives. Hour-long depictions of single moments - Bhima killing Dushasana, Hanuman lifting the Drona mountain.
Costume: Vasti (flared full-body skirt), heavily embellished. Crown (kirita). Face paint (pacha = green for noble heroes, kathi = red for villains, kari = black for forest beings, minukku = simple for women/brahmanas).
Kuchipudi · कूचिपूडि
Andhra Pradesh (Kuchipudi village)
Exponent - Vempati Chinna Satyam, Yamini Krishnamurthy. Originally male-only Bhagavatas; expanded to women in 20th C.
Signature - Quicker tempo than Bharatanatyam. Dancing on the edge of a brass plate (tarangam). Lasya + tandava combinations. Direct dialogue with audience.
Themes: Krishna-leela. Also social commentary in some compositions. Strong narrative tradition.
Costume: Lighter saree than Bharatanatyam. Different head-cum-hair ornament. Brass-plate balance pieces.
Manipuri · मणिपुरी
Manipur (Northeast India)
Exponent - Guru Bipin Singh, Charu Mathur (revival).
Signature - Subtle, flowing, lyrical - least percussive of the 8. Female-dominated. Krishna-bhakti (Vaishnava). Manipur is overwhelmingly Vaishnava-Hindu since 18th C.
Themes: Ras-lila of Krishna + Radha. Mostly lyrical, never tragic.
Signature - Solo female. Slow + sensual movements. Mohini = "the enchantress" (Vishnu's female form). Less percussive than Bharatanatyam, more swaying.
Costume: Soft cotton or silk saree pleated in front. Many silver ornaments (Odishan jewelry). Filigreed jewelry. Bun-style hair with flowers.
Sattriya · सत्त्रीय
Assam
Exponent - Mahapurusha Sankaradeva (15-16th C) - Vaishnava reformer who created Sattriya as a temple-dance form.
Signature - Recognised as 8th classical form only in 2000 by Sangeet Natak Akademi. Comes from the Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) of Assam. Initially monk-only; opened to lay practitioners + women in 20th C.
Costume: Mekhela-chador (Assamese 2-piece silk drape). Distinctive head-gear (japi) for some characters.
The 9 Rasas (emotional palette)
Natya Shastra catalogues 9 rasas (originally 8; shanta was added by Abhinavagupta in the 11th C). Every classical performance aims to evoke specific rasas in the rasika (informed connoisseur). Each rasa has a sthayi (base emotion), deity, and colour.
Shringara · शृङ्गार
Love / Beauty
Sthayi: Rati (love)
Deity: Vishnu
Colour: Green
Hasya · हास्य
Comic / Mirth
Sthayi: Hasa (laughter)
Deity: Pramatha (Shiva's gana)
Colour: White
Karuna · करुण
Compassion / Pathos
Sthayi: Shoka (grief)
Deity: Yama
Colour: Grey / dove
Raudra · रौद्र
Anger / Fury
Sthayi: Krodha (anger)
Deity: Rudra
Colour: Red
Veera · वीर
Heroism / Valour
Sthayi: Utsaha (energy)
Deity: Indra
Colour: Saffron
Bhayanaka · भयानक
Fear / Terror
Sthayi: Bhaya (fear)
Deity: Kala (Yama / Time)
Colour: Black
Bibhatsa · बीभत्स
Disgust / Repugnance
Sthayi: Jugupsa (loathing)
Deity: Mahakala
Colour: Blue
Adbhuta · अद्भुत
Wonder / Astonishment
Sthayi: Vismaya (amazement)
Deity: Brahma
Colour: Yellow
Shanta · शान्त
Peace / Tranquillity
Sthayi: Shama (calm)
Deity: Vishnu / Narayana
Colour: Crystal-white
Music traditions - Carnatic + Hindustani
Carnatic music · कर्नाटिक संगीत
South India
Foundational - Sangita Ratnakara (Sharngadeva, 13th C). Purandaradasa (15-16th C) is the Pitamaha (grand-father) - systematised the basic exercises still taught today.
Trinity - Tyagaraja (1767-1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835), Syama Sastri (1762-1827) - the "Carnatic Trinity". All from Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu - all roughly contemporaries.
Structure - 72 melakarta ragas (parent scales). Each generates many janya (derived) ragas. Most performed: Sankarabharanam, Kalyani, Todi, Bhairavi, Kambhoji, Hindolam, Madhyamavati.
Foundational - Sangita Ratnakara (same source as Carnatic - common ancestor). Diverged after the Persian + Mughal influence (13th C onwards).
Trinity - Tansen (16th C - court musician of Akbar). Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar + Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (20th C revivalists).
Structure - 10 thaats (parent scales). Many gharanas (lineage-styles): Gwalior, Agra, Kirana, Patiala, Jaipur-Atrauli, Mewati. Each has its distinctive treatment of ragas.
Best-known - Mian ki Malhar (raga associated with rain - said to cause rainfall when sung perfectly). Yaman, Bhairav, Marwa, Bilaval - the most-performed ragas.
8 marquee instruments
Veena · वीणा
String
Saraswati's veena - the OLDEST Indian instrument. Mentioned throughout the Vedas. Originally Saraswati-veena (single string), evolved into Sarasvati-veena (4 strings) + Rudra-veena (modern stick-zither).
Drone instrument. 4-strings tuned to the tonic (sa-pa-sa-sa). Provides the constant background harmony for any Indian classical performance.
Master - No master per se - required as the foundational drone by every singer + instrumentalist.
The 108 Karanas
What - Bharata's Natya Shastra catalogues 108 karanas - fundamental dance movements. Each karana combines a hasta (hand gesture) + a body position + a foot movement. The 108 karanas are sculpted in the gopurams of major Tamil Shaiva temples - most famously at the eastern gopuram of the Chidambaram Nataraja temple, where all 108 appear in carved stone.
Modern research - Padma Subrahmanyam (b. 1943) dedicated her career to deciphering + reconstructing the 108 karanas from the Chidambaram + Thanjavur sculptures, comparing with Natya Shastra descriptions. Most modern Bharatanatyam performers know only ~32 karanas; her work revived the full set.
Modern performance - A full karana-performance covering all 108 takes ~3 hours. Performed annually at the Natyanjali festival (Maha Shivaratri) at Chidambaram + on rare occasions at Nataraja shrines worldwide.
Living tradition - Every major Hindu temple has an annual cultural festival showcasing classical music + dance. Chidambaram Natyanjali (Maha Shivaratri), Khajuraho Dance Festival (Feb-Mar), Tirupati Brahmotsavam (Sept-Oct), Madurai Chithirai (Apr-May), Chennai Margazhi season (Dec-Jan). See also Yantras & Mudras (Bharatanatyam hand-gestures detailed), Temple architecture (the karanas at Chidambaram + Thanjavur).
