Bharata Natyam

Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. It exists in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Bönpo, and New Age forms. Tantra's roots are in the village life of ancient India. The word "tantra" first appears in the written record in the middle of the first millennium CE. Tantra has persisted and often thrived throughout Asian history. Its practitioners have lived in India, China, Japan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Ind ...

Including:

• Tantra - History of Tantra
• Tantra - Hindu tantra
• Tantra - Tibetan tantra
• Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect
• Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra
• Tantra - Tantric practices
• Tantra - Tantra in the modern world
• Tantra - Hindu tantra
• Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia - Tantra

Bharatanatyam (also spelled Bharathanatyam, Bharatnatyam or Bharata Natyam) is a classical dance form originating in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Originally known as sadir, it owes its current name to Krishna Iyer and later, Rukmini Devi Arundale. Bharata could refer to either the author of the Natya Shastra or to a legendary king after whom the country of India was supposedly named Bharata and natya is Sanskrit for the art of dance-drama. It was brought to the stage at the beginning of the 20th ce ...

Including:

• Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots
• Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas
• Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline
• Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth
• Bharatanatyam - Technique
• Bharatanatyam - Elements
• Bharatanatyam - Other elements
• Bharatanatyam - Dancers

Read more here: » Bharatanatyam: Encyclopedia - Bharatanatyam

Classical Indian dance is any dance form that is based on Natya Shastra, and currently comprises Bharata Natyam Odissi Mohiniattam Kuchipudi Note that Manipuri is clearly distinct from the above four. Some also include classical dances of Assam: Sattriya, Savaguwa and Rang-guwa Ojapali dance Dewgharar Dev-Natir Nritya the North Indian dance ...

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Apsaras (Sanskrit: अप्सरा, apsarā), in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, are the female spirits of the clouds and waters. In the Rig-Veda there is one Apsara, wife of Gandharva; in the later scriptures there are many Apsaras, created by Lord Brahma, who act as the handmaidens of Indra or the celestial damsels of his court who dance before his throne. Natya Shatra lists the following apsaras: Manjukesi, Sukesi, Misrakesi, Sulochana, Saudamini, Devadatta, Devasena, Manorama, Sudati, Sundari, Vigagdha, Vividha, Budha, Sumala, Santati, Sunanda, Sumukhi, Magadhi, Arjuni, Sarala, Kerala, Dhrt ...

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The Culture of Bangladesh has a unique cultural history, dating back more than 2500 years ago. The land, the rivers and the lives of the common people formulated a rich cultural heritage with marked differences from neighboring regions. The culture of Bangladesh, the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh, has evolved over centuries, and the multidimensional cultural heritage of Bangladesh encompasses within itself the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh. The Culture of Bangladesh is a composite culture, wit ...

Including:

• Culture of Bangladesh - Music dance and drama
• Culture of Bangladesh - Festivals and celebrations
• Culture of Bangladesh - Traditional ceremonies
• Culture of Bangladesh - Weddings
• Culture of Bangladesh - Religion in Bangladesh
• Culture of Bangladesh - Culinary tradition

Read more here: » Culture of Bangladesh: Encyclopedia - Culture of Bangladesh

Rukmini Devi Arundale raised Bharatanatyam to a puritan art form, divorced from its recently controversial past by "removing objectionable elements" (mostly, the Sringar, or the expressive Tantric elements) from some original styles of Sadir (such as Pandanallur, Tanjore or Thanjavur, Vazhuvoor, Mysore etc.), according to Shri Sankara Menon. A top contemporary dancer Alarmel Valli said, ``Though Chokkalingam Pillai often told us not to dance like a jadam (zombie), I suspect that the masters had to shed much of the full blooded quality of the repertoire to be ...

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Bharatanatyam, Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots, Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas, Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline, Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth, Bharatanatyam - Technique, Bharatanatyam - Elements, Bharatanatyam - Other elements, Bharatanatyam - Dancers, Bharatanatyam - Gurus and Dancers

Read more here: » Bharatanatyam: Encyclopedia II - Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth

Culture of Bangladesh - Weddings. A traditional wedding is arranged by Ghotok's (matchmakers), who are typically friends or relatives of the couple. The matchmakers facilitate the introduction, and also help agree the amount of any settlement. In older times, the settlement was a dowry to be paid by the bride's family to the groom. However, in the last 30 to 40 years, dowry has been declared illegal, and it is discouraged. Even then, it persists, especially in rural areas. These days, the settlement is likely to take the form of a ...

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Culture of Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Music dance and drama, Culture of Bangladesh - Festivals and celebrations, Culture of Bangladesh - Traditional ceremonies, Culture of Bangladesh - Weddings, Culture of Bangladesh - Religion in Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Culinary tradition

Read more here: » Culture of Bangladesh: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Bangladesh - Traditional ceremonies

Tantra exists in Vaisnava, Shaiva, and Shakta forms, among others. Extolled as a short-cut to self-realization and spiritual enlightenment by some, left-hand tantric rites are often rejected as dangerous by most orthodox Hindus. The popular perception of tantra among Hindus, for example as expressed in Indian journalism, makes it more or less synonymous with black magic. This sentiment has also influenced the s ...

See also:

Tantra, Tantra - History of Tantra, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Tibetan tantra, Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect, Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra, Tantra - Tantric practices, Tantra - Tantra in the modern world, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia II - Tantra - Hindu tantra

Music and dance style of Bangladesh may be divided into three categories, namely, the classical, folk and the modern. The classical style has been influenced by other prevalent classical forms of music and dances of the Indian subcontinent, and accordingly show some influences dance forms like Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi. The folk and tribal music and dance forms of Bangladesh are of indigenous origin and rooted to the soil of Bangladesh. Several dancing styles, in vogue in the north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, like Monipuri and Santal dances, are also practiced in Banglades ...

See also:

Culture of Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Music, dance and drama, Culture of Bangladesh - Festivals and celebrations, Culture of Bangladesh - Traditional ceremonies, Culture of Bangladesh - Weddings, Culture of Bangladesh - Religion in Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Culinary tradition

Read more here: » Culture of Bangladesh: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Bangladesh - Music, dance and drama

Because of the wide range of groups covered by the term "tantra", it is hard to describe tantric practices definitively. The basic practice, the Hindu image-worship known as "puja" may include any of the elements below. Mantra and Yantra: As in all of Hindu and Buddhist yogas, mantras plays an important part in Tantra, not only for focusing the mind, often through the conduit of specific Hindu gods like Shiva, Ma Kali (mother Kali, another form of Shakti) and even Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of wisdom (refer to the Ganesha Upanishad). Similarly, puja will often i ...

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Tantra, Tantra - History of Tantra, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Tibetan tantra, Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect, Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra, Tantra - Tantric practices, Tantra - Tantra in the modern world, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia II - Tantra - Tantric practices

Tantra is used in the West, as a general term which relates to sexual practice as a spiritual evolutionary scheme. There are in fact many different approaches as to how this manifests in American society - and also examples of the same development in Europe, see further down. There have been many civilizations which have deified sexuality as the most approximate expression of cosmic love or God. Regardless, the point is that tantra is moldable. It changes with each moment and environment. It ...

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Tantra, Tantra - History of Tantra, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Tibetan tantra, Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect, Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra, Tantra - Tantric practices, Tantra - Tantra in the modern world, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia II - Tantra - Tantra in the modern world

New Age appropriations of tantra usually disregard requirements involving guruparampara and ritual conduct, though they otherwise adopt many of the terms and concepts of Indian tantra. In these circles, "tantra" is often a synonym for sacred sexuality, i.e. a belief that sex ought to be recognized as a sacred act which is capable of elevating its participants to a higher spiritual plane. At other times "tantra" comes to mean a set of techniques for cultivating a more fulfilling sexual or love relationship, like the otherwise unrel ...

See also:

Tantra, Tantra - History of Tantra, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Tibetan tantra, Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect, Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra, Tantra - Tantric practices, Tantra - Tantra in the modern world, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia II - Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra

Legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya, a semi-mythical Hindu yogi and the assumed author of the Jivanmukta Gita ("Song of the liberated soul"). Others see Lord Adinath, or Shiva, as the first Guru of Tantra. Things become a little more clear with Matsyendranath ("Master of fish" - so-called either because he was a fisherman, or, less probably, because he discovered a tantra inside a fish). He is accredited with authorship of the Kaulajnana-nirnaya, a voluminous ninth-century tantra dealing with a host of mystical a ...

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Tantra, Tantra - History of Tantra, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Tibetan tantra, Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect, Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra, Tantra - Tantric practices, Tantra - Tantra in the modern world, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia II - Tantra - History of Tantra

In Tibetan Buddhism tantra (also known as Vajrayana) plays a central role, and is universally acknowledged as constituting the highest teachings of that religion. Tibetan lineages disagree as to whether tantric practice ought to be reserved for senior monks (which policy distinguishes the Gelugpa), or extended to laypeople and junior clergy (as in the other monastic lineages, notably the Nyingmapa). The suggested motivation for practicing tantra is no different from that of Mahayana Buddhism in general--the bodhisattva ideal, in which the pr ...

See also:

Tantra, Tantra - History of Tantra, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Tibetan tantra, Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect, Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra, Tantra - Tantric practices, Tantra - Tantra in the modern world, Tantra - Hindu tantra, Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia II - Tantra - Tibetan tantra

Bangladesh is ethnically homogenous, with Bengalis comprising 98% of the population. Most Bangladeshis (about 83%) are Muslims, but Hindus constitute a sizable (16%) minority. There are also a small number of Buddhists, Christians, and Animists. See also Islam in Bangladesh Hinduism in Bangladesh Buddhism in Bangladesh ...

See also:

Culture of Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Music dance and drama, Culture of Bangladesh - Festivals and celebrations, Culture of Bangladesh - Traditional ceremonies, Culture of Bangladesh - Weddings, Culture of Bangladesh - Religion in Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Culinary tradition

Read more here: » Culture of Bangladesh: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Bangladesh - Religion in Bangladesh

Music and dance style of Bangladesh may be divided into three categories, namely, the classical, folk and the modern. The classical style has been influenced by other prevalent classical forms of music and dances of the Indian subcontinent, and accordingly show some influences dance forms like Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi. The folk and tribal music and dance forms of Bangladesh are of indigenous origin and rooted to the soil of Bangladesh. Several dancing styles, in vogue in the north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, like Monipuri and Santal dances, are also practiced in Bangladesh ...

See also:

Culture of Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Music dance and drama, Culture of Bangladesh - Festivals and celebrations, Culture of Bangladesh - Traditional ceremonies, Culture of Bangladesh - Weddings, Culture of Bangladesh - Religion in Bangladesh, Culture of Bangladesh - Culinary tradition

Read more here: » Culture of Bangladesh: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Bangladesh - Music dance and drama

Bharatanatyam is the manifestation of the South Indian idea of the celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of the material body. In Hindu mythology the whole universe is the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja, a name for Lord Shiva, the Hindu ascetic yogi and divine purveyor of destruction of evil. Natya Shastra (I.44) reads, "... I have seen the Kaisiki style during the dance of the blue-throated lord (Shiva). It consists of elaborate gestures (Mridu Angaharas, movements of limbs), sentiments (Ras ...

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Bharatanatyam, Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots, Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas, Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline, Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth, Bharatanatyam - Technique, Bharatanatyam - Elements, Bharatanatyam - Other elements, Bharatanatyam - Dancers, Bharatanatyam - Gurus and Dancers

Read more here: » Bharatanatyam: Encyclopedia II - Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas

Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage, who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance. It is also called the fifth Veda in reference to the foundation of Hindu religion and philosophy, from which sprang the related South Indian musical tradition of Carnatic music. However, there are references to Rishi Agastya teaching his disciples a different form o ...

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Bharatanatyam, Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots, Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas, Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline, Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth, Bharatanatyam - Technique, Bharatanatyam - Elements, Bharatanatyam - Other elements, Bharatanatyam - Dancers, Bharatanatyam - Gurus and Dancers

Read more here: » Bharatanatyam: Encyclopedia II - Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots

Local kings often invited temple dancers devadasis to dance in their courts, the occurrence of which created a new category of dancers, rajadasi's and modified the technique and themes of the recitals. A devadasi had to satisfy her own soul while she danced unwatched and offered herself (surrendered) to the lord, but the rajadasi's dance was meant to be an entertainment. Most devadasis had already gone from being high-status life-long celibate priestesses (brahmacharya) to being lower-status temple servants who we ...

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Bharatanatyam, Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots, Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas, Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline, Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth, Bharatanatyam - Technique, Bharatanatyam - Elements, Bharatanatyam - Other elements, Bharatanatyam - Dancers, Bharatanatyam - Gurus and Dancers

Read more here: » Bharatanatyam: Encyclopedia II - Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline

Although most of the contemporary Bharatanatyam ballets are popularly viewed as a form of entertainment, the Natya Shastra-based dance styles were sacred Hindu ceremonies originally conceived in order to spiritually elevate the spectators. Bharatanatyam proper is a solo dance, with two aspects, lasya, the graceful feminine lines and movements, and tandava (the dance of Shiva), masculine aspect. Typically a performance includes: Ganapati Vandana - A traditional opening prayer to the Hindu god Ganesh, who removes obstacles. ...

See also:

Bharatanatyam, Bharatanatyam - Traditional roots, Bharatanatyam - Essential ideas, Bharatanatyam - Medieval decline, Bharatanatyam - Modern rebirth, Bharatanatyam - Technique, Bharatanatyam - Elements, Bharatanatyam - Other elements, Bharatanatyam - Dancers, Bharatanatyam - Gurus and Dancers

Read more here: » Bharatanatyam: Encyclopedia II - Bharatanatyam - Elements