1.

Popular folk dances:

Giddha- Punjab; Ghumar- Rajasthan; Garba, Dandiya Raas, Bhavai- Gujarat
Lavani, Lezim, Tamasha- Maharashtra; Nautanki- Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (mainly) and Bihar;
Jatra- Bengal; Yakshagana- Karnataka; Theyyam, Kalaripayattu- Kerala,
Chhau- Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.
2. There are 7 major classical dance styles
(i) Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,
(ii) Kathakali, a classical dance-drama from Kerala,
(iii) Manipuri from Manipur,
(iv) Kathak from Uttar Pradesh,
(v) Odissi from Orissa,
(vi) Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh and
(vii) Sattriya from Assam, which has recently been included in the fold of Classical Dances.
- Natyashastra: was written by Bharat Muni & others. (200 B.C. to 200 A.D.).
3. Bharatnatyam: from Tamil Nadu
- Abhinaya Darpana- by Nandikesvara, is one of the main sources of textual material, for the study
of the technique and grammar of body movement in Bharatnatyam Dance.
- Chari: means leg movement.
- Bharatnatyam dance is known to be 'ekaharya', where one dancer takes on many roles in a single
performance.
- "devadasis"- were young girls 'gifted' by their parents to the temples and who were married to
the gods. The devadasis performed music and dance as offerings to the deities, in the temple
courtyards.
- Stages in Bharatnatyam:
(i) at first there is an invocation song.
(ii) The first dance item is the alarippu, literally meaning - to adorn with flowers.
(iii) next item, the jatiswaram is a short pure dance piece performed to the accompaniment of
musical notes of any raga of Carnatic music.
(iv) "Shabdam" follows the jatiswaram. The accompanying song is generally in adoration of the
Supreme Being.
(v) then the dancer performs the varnam, which is the most important composition of the
Bharatnatyam repertoire, encompasses both 'nritta' and 'nritya'. The dancer here performs
complicated well graded rhythmic patterns.
(vi) now, the dancer performs a number of abhinaya items expressing a variety of moods. The
bhava or rasa is woven into the sahitya and then expressed by the dancer. The common pieces are
keertanam, kritis, padams and javalis.
(vii) Bharatnatyam performance ends with a 'tillana' which has its origin in the 'tarana' of
Hindustani music. It is a vibrant dance performed to the accompaniment of musical syllables with

a few lines of sahitya. Performance ends with a mangalam invoking the blessings of the Gods

- Carnatic music: a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian
subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. It is one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music that
evolved from ancient Hindu traditions, the other subgenre being Hindustani music (native to north
India).
- Nritta: It corresponds to pure dance steps performed rhythmically. Here the movements of the
body do not convey any mood or meaning and its purpose is just creating beauty by making
various patterns, lines in space and time.
- Nritya: It corresponds to the mime performed to the song. That is in other words, it is the
Interpretative dance.
4. Kathakali: from Kerala
- of comparatively recent origin. However, it is an art which has evolved from many social and
religious theatrical forms.
- Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam and Ramanattam are few of the ritual performing arts
of Kerala which have had a direct influence on Kathakali in its form and technique.
- For body movements and choreographical patterns, Kathakali is also indebted to the early
martial arts of Kerala.
- Kathakali is a blend of dance, music and acting and dramatizes stories, which are mostly adapted
from the Indian epics. It is a stylised art form, the four aspects of abhinaya - angika,
aharya,vachika, satvika and the nritta, nritya and natya aspects are combined perfectly.
- The face of the artist is painted over to appear as though a mask is worn. The lips, the eyelashes
and the eyebrows are made to look prominent. A mixture of rice paste and lime is applied to make
the chutti on the face which highlights the facial make-up.
- Kathakali music follows the traditional sopana sangeet of Kerala.2

5. Kathak: from North India, esp. Lucknow (U.P.) (My Aashi knows it)
- The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story. Kathakars or
story-tellers, are people who narrate stories largely based on episodes from the epics, myths and
legends. It probably started as an oral tradition.
- Mime and gestures were perhaps added later on to make the recitation more effective.
- The emergence of 'Raslila' , mainly in the Braj region (Mathura in Western U.P.) was an
important development.
- With the coming of the Mughals, this dance form received a new impetus. A transition from the

temple courtyard to the palace durbar took place which necessitated changes in presentation. In
both Hindu and Muslim courts, Kathak became highly stylised .
- Under the Muslims there was a greater stress on 'nritya' and 'bhava' giving the dance graceful,
expressive and sensuous dimensions.
Various Gharanas:
- Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Oudh established the Lucknow gharana with its strong accent
on 'bhava', the expression of moods and emotions.
- The "Jaipur gharana" known for its 'layakari' or rhythmic virtuosity and the "Benaras gharana"
are other prominent schools of Kathak dance. The technique of movement in Kathak is unique to
it.
- The cadences are called differently by the names tukra, tora, and parana, all indicative of the
nature of rhythmic patterns used and the percussion instrument accompanying the dance.
- Amad (entry), Salami (salutation), nritta (pure dance) and the abhinaya (mime) .
- In the mime portions (nritya or abhinaya), words are not used in simple numbers called the gata,
which is performed in a lyrical manner to gentle rhythm.
- Being the 'only classical dance' of India having links with Muslim culture, it represents a unique
synthesis of Hindu and Muslim genius in art. Further, Kathak is the 'only form of classical dance'
wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music.
6. Manipuri: from Manipur
- Originated in the picturesque and secluded state of Manipur. The dance in Manipur is associated
with rituals and traditional festivals.
Lai Haraoba:
- It is one of the main festivals still performed in Manipur. 3Lai Haraoba is the earliest form of
dance which forms the basis of all stylised dances in Manipur.
- Literally meaning - the merrymaking of the gods, it is performed as a ceremonial offering of
song and dance. The principal performers are the maibas and maibis (priests and priestesses).
- During the reign of King Bhagyachandra the popular 'Rasleela' dances of Manipur originated
(introduction of episodes of Radha & Krishna). Manipur dance has a large repertoire. The most
popular forms are the Ras, the Sankirtana (Pung & Kartal Cholam) and the Thang-Ta (performed
by martial dancers using swords, spears and shields).
- Pung & Kartal Cholam- performed by male dancers in Manipuri.3
- Manipuri dance incorporates both the 'tandava' (performed by men, e.g. Lord Shiva) and 'lasya'
(performed by women, e.g. Goddess Parvati).
- Manipuri dancers do not wear ankle bells to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet, in
contrast with other Indian dance forms, and the dancers' feet never strike the ground hard.
- Movements of the body and feet and facial expressions in Manipuri dance are subtle and aim at
devotion and grace.

- The Manipuri classical style of singing is called Nat - very different from both north and south
Indian music. Main musical instrument is the Pung or the Manipuri classical drum.
7. Odissi: from Odisha
- Odissi is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the
mundane.
- Odhra Magadha: the earliest precursor of present day Odissi. It is mentioned in Natyashastra.
- Archaeological evidence of this dance form dating back to the 2nd century B.C. is found in the
caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri near Bhubaneshwar.
- Odissi is a highly stylised dance and to some extent is based on the classical Natya Shastra and
the Abhinaya Darpana.
- Odissi closely follows the tenets laid down by the Natya Shastra. Facial expressions, hand
gestures and body movements are used to suggest a certain feeling, an emotion 4or one of the nine
rasas.4
- Some imp positions in Odissi:
Chowk-Basic Standing position; 4Tribhangi; Torso mvmnt; Hasta Mudra.
- The opening item is Mangalacharan followed by Batu.
8. Kuchipudi: from Andhra Pradesh (mainly)
- In fact, Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra has
a very long tradition of dance-drama which was known under the generic name of Yakshagaana.
- Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi,4 a talented Vaishnava poet
and visionary.
- There are now two forms of Kuchipudi;
(i) the traditional musical dance-drama and
(ii) the solo dance.
- To4 show the dexterity of the dancers in footwork and their control and balance over their
bodies, techniques like dancing on the rim of a brass plate and with a pitcher full of water on the
head was introduced.
- The music that accompanies the dance is according to the classical school of Carnatic music and
is delightfully syncopatic.
9. Sattriya: from Assam
- It was introduced in the 15th century A.D by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam,
Mahapurusha Sankaradeva as a powerful medium for propagation of the Vaishnava faith.
- Sattras means Vaishnava maths or monasteries.
- Because of its religious character and association with the Sattras, this dance style has been aptly
named Sattriya.
- There were two dance forms prevalent in Assam before the neo-Vaishnava movement such as
Ojapali and Devadasi with many classical elements.4
- The dancers in a Oja paali chorus not only sing and dance but also explain the narration by
gestures and stylized movements.

- As far as Devadasi dance is concerned, resemblance of a good number of rhythmic syllables and
dance postures along with footwork with Sattriya dance is a clear indication of the influence of the
former on the latter.
- Other visible influences on Sattriya dance are those from Assamese folk dances namely Bihu,
Bodos etc.

CLASSICAL MUSIC OF INDIA

10.
- There are 2 systems of classical music:
(i) the Hindustani music and
(ii) the Carnatic music.
- Carnatic music is confined to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The classical
music of the rest of the country goes under the name, Hindustani Classical Music.
- Of course there are some areas in Karnataka and Andhra where the Hindustani Classical system
is also practiced.
- The oldest music, which possessed a grammar was the vedic. Of course, the Rig-Veda is said to
be the oldest: nearly 5000 years old. The psalms of the Rig-Veda were called the 'richas'. TheYajur
Veda was also a religious chant.
- Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni, along with few other authors, is another important landmark in
the history of Indian music. It is supposed to have been written sometime between the 2nd century
B.C. and the 2nd century A.D. It is a comprehensive work mainly dealing with dramaturgy. But a
few chapters of this deal with music.
- 5The then contemporary music recognized two standard scales. These were called 'gramas',
probably meaning a set of svaras or notes.
- The 2 gramas were:
(a) the Shadja grama and,
(b) the Madhyama grama.
- The panchama note in Shadja grama had one sruti higher vis-a-vis madhyama grama, being the
only difference between the two.
- There are 75 notes in an octave or saptak - from Sa to upper Sa. But in reality the number of
srutis employed in Indian music is infinite. 5The notes are played or sung in a descending
manner.
- Different scales : grama, moorcchana and mela.
- A characteristic contribution of India to musical rhythm is the tala. Tala is a cyclic arrangement
of time units. The basic units of time division are laghu, guru, and pluta.
- These are actually derived from poetic prosody. Laghu comprises one syllable,guru two, and
pluta three.
- Right from ancient times, musical forms can be divided into 2 broad categories:
(a) anibaddha sangeeta- called as the open or free form, and

(b) the nibaddha sangeeta- called as the closed or bound form.

CARNATIC MUSIC OF INDIA

11. In Haripala's "Sangeeta Sudhakara", of 14th century A.D., the terms Carnatic and Hindustani
are found for the first time. The two distinct styles, Hindustani and Carnatic came into vogue after
the advent of the Muslims, particularly during the reign of the Mughal Emperors of Delhi. Both
the systems of music received their nourishment from the same original source.
- Whereas the Indian music of the Northern part of India assimilated some features of the music of
the Persian and Arabic musicians who adorned the courts of the Mughal rulers of Delhi, the music
of the South continued to develop along its own original lines. But the fundamental aspects of
both the systems of the North and South have been the same.
- Most probably the South Indian Music flourished in Deogiri, capital of Yadavas, in the middle
ages, and that after the invasion and plunder of the city by the Muslims, the entire cultural life of
the city took shelter in the Carnatic Empire of Vijayanagar under the reign of Krishnadevaraya.
Thereafter, the music of South India came to be known as Carnatic Music.
- The advent of Purandaradasa, the Pitamaha of Carnatic music, in the year 1484, marked a very
important landmark in the development of Carnatic music. He effected such a thorough
systematisation and refinement in the art, that, up to the present day, it has remained the same.
- The contemporaries Tyagaraja (17591847), Muthuswami Dikshitar, (17761827) and Syama
Sastri, (17621827) are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Carnatic music reached its
pinnacle of artistic excellence during this period. It was the 'Golden Age' of music throughout the
world as Western music also flourished during this period.
# Gitam :- Taught to beginners of music, the gitam is very simple in construction, with
an easy and melodious flow of music.
# Suladi :- Suladis are of a higher standard than the gitam.
# Svarajati :- More complicated than the gitas, the Svarajati paves the way for the
learning of the Varnams.
6# Jatisvaram :- Similar to the svarajati in musical structure, this form- Jatisvaram-has
no sahitya or words.
# Varnam :- Varnam is a beautiful creation of musical craftsmanship of a high order,
combining in itself all the characteristic features of the raga in which it is
composed. It is a musical form in Carnatic music. 2 types- Tana Varnam
and the Pada Varnam.

REGIONAL MUSIC
12.
- Each region has its own particular style of music. Tribal and folk music is not taught in the same

way that Indian classical music is taught. The economics of rural life does not permit this sort of
thing.
- The musical practitioners must still attend to their normal duties of hunting, agriculture or
whatever their chosen profession is.7
- The instruments used are also largely different from those used in classical music. Cruder drums
such as daf, dholak, or nal are used generally.
- It is very common to find folk instruments that have been fabricated of commonly available
materials. Skin, bamboo, coconut shells, and pots are but a few commonly available materials
used to make musical instruments.
- 7Some folk/regional music :
a. Rasiya Geet - Uttar Pradesh
b. Pankhida - Rajasthan - Sung by the peasants of Rajasthan while doing work in the
fields.
c. Lotia - Rajasthan - sung in the chaitra month during the festival - Lotia.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
13.
- The earliest evidence of music activity is found on the walls of cave paintings at Bhimbetka and
in several parts of Madhya Pradesh, which were occupied by man approximately 10,000 years
ago. Much later, in the excavations of the Harappan Civilization also, evidence is available of
dance and music activity.
- 7In the Natya Shastra, compiled by Bharat Muni dated 200 B.C.-200 A.D., musical instruments
have been divided into four main categories on the basis of how sound is produced.
(i) The Tata Vadya or Chordophones- Stringed instruments
(ii) The Sushira Vadya or Aerophones- Wind instruments
(iii) The Avanaddha Vadya or Membranophones- Percussion instruments
(iv) The Ghana Vadya or Idiophones- Solid instruments which do not require tuning.

14. Mohiniyattam: quick facts

- Mohiniyattam is it is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms recognized by the Sangeet
Natak Akademi. The word Mohini means a maiden who steals the heart of the onlooker.
- It is perfomed by women. The dance movements are graceful and the costumes are sober and
attractive. Mohiniattam follows the Hastha Lakshanadeepika, a textbook for Mudras.
- Mohiniyattam involves delicate footsteps and subtle expressions. The vocal music for
Mohiniattam is classical Carnatic.
- The basic dance steps of Mohiniattam are the Adavus Taganam, Jaganam, Dhaganam and
Sammisram.
15. Jallikattu :

- also known Eruthazhuvuthal or Manju virat u, is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a
part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day.
- Bulls are bred specifically for the sporting event and a specific breed of cattle bred for this
purpose is known as "Jellicut".
Its Ban :
- The Animal Welfare Board of India took the case to the Supreme Court for an outright ban on
jallikattu because of the cruelty to animals and the threat to public safety involved.
- In May 2014, the Supreme Court banned the sport citing animal welfare issues.
Cultural Value of Jallikattu :
- The sport is imbibed in the culture of farming community, esp. the intermediate castes.
- The sport enjoys a great support among the Thevar community in Tamil Nadu.
Belief :
- For the rural masses, including women, Jallikattu is a good omen for the future.
- The villagers believe that, if they play Jallikattu in a year, the rainfall/monsoon would be better
in that year.
- By playing this sport they "celebrate the festival of harvest".

16. Kalamkari:
- Kalamkari or vrathapani from Andhra Pradesh demonstrates the variety of natural materials used
to create a work of art.
- Kalamkari means pen work in Persian and refers to both printed and painted cloth. In the17th
century Persian influences led to artists experimenting with the depiction of trees, fruits, flowers
and ornamental birds.
- The painting is made exclusively with a pen, the kalam made out of a bamboo sliver wound at
one section with wool and then dyed with natural colours.
- Black ink is used to make outlines, and jaggery, rusted ironfilings and water are used for making
colours to fill in details
- The making of a kalamkari is astrenuous process, which, if done carefully according to the
prescribed methods, produces a painting in which the colours retain their brightness and vigour for
centuries.
Painted Stories:
- The art of painting stories on cloth is located in Sri Kalahasti, a town in Andhra Pradesh.
Originally large paintings on cloth served as pictorial renderings of the great epics, the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata for temples.
- Paintings were also made to illustrate spiritual poems of eminent writers.
- What is most interesting is that this cloth painting process involves no chemical product and the
excess dyes that flow into the rivers while washing do not pollute it.
- The quality of the water, air and sunshine are all-important in the process of art-making of this

nature.
17. Wall Painting :
- The tradition of wall paintings has been passed down from pre-historic times to us today. As
society moved from forest dwellings to agricultural-based communities, the art of painting
continued as a part of their life and to transmit their traditional beliefs through their art.
- This forms part of the universal culture of most agricultural societies. Paintings are done on walls
to invoke the gods to bless the soil, keep animals healthy for work in the field, grant a family
healthy progeny after marriage, and bless a newly constructed home. - Paintings found on the
walls of religious buildings depict a human quest to understand a larger universe and power.
18. Mabh Bihu
- It is a festival celebrated by the fishing communities in Assam.
- During the festival, people of Assam organise community fishing and feasts. The whole night is
spent singing and dancing in Mejis (temporary shelters made of straw), which are set fire in the
morning.
19. Pasuvula Panduga :
- Similar to Jallikattu, but not the Jallikattu, is a cattle festival celebrated on the eve of Sankranti in
Andhra Pradesh, where domesticated bulls are made to run amok, while youth run behind them to
catch the prize money tied to their horns.
20. Kutiyattam :
(i) It is one of the oldest living theatrical traditions.
(ii) It represents a synthesis of Sanskrit classicism and reflects the local traditions.
(iii) Netra abhinaya (eye expression) and hasta abhinaya (the language of gestures/ hand
expression) are prominent.
(iv) A single act may take days to perform and a complete performance may last up to 40 days.
21. Karavali Utsav :
- Karavali in Kannada means coastal area. Karwar being a coastal area has its own culture and
traditions which are followed since many years.
- Karavali Utsav/festival is a 3 decades old festival of this coastal district of Karnataka. This
festival is organised by District Administration every year in this district.
22. Paryushana :
- Paryushana is an important Jain festival celebrated in the month of August or September.
- Normally vtmbaras refer to it as Paryushana, while Digambaras refer it as Das
Lakshana. Paryushana means "abiding, coming together".
- The duration of Paryusana is for 8 days for Swetambar jains and 10 days for Digambara
jains.
23. Kalarippayattu :
- With a view to promoting and giving due acknowledgement and importance to sports having
regional spread, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recognized the Indian Kalarippayattu

Federation as Regional Sports Federation with immediate effect.

- This recognition means granting a major role to the Indian Kalarippayattu Federation (IKF) for
promotion and development of Kalarippayattu sport in India.
- It is a martial art which originated as a style in Kerala during the 13th Century AD.
- It is considered to be one of the oldest fighting systems in existence. It is now practiced in
Kerala, in contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu. It was originally practiced in northern and central
parts of Kerala and the Tulunadu region of Karnataka.
24. Nuakhai :
- Nuakhai is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha in India. The
word nua means new and khai means food, so the name means the farmers are in possession of
the newly harvested rice.
- It is observed to welcome the new rice of the season.
25. Ningol Chakouba is a festival a grand feast for married daughters is prepared and hosted by
parental households celebrated in Manipur.

26. Hongi :
- A hongi is a traditional Mori greeting in New Zealand. It is done by pressing one's nose and
forehead (at the same time) to another person at an encounter.