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

See also:

Bharatanatyam, 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 II - Bharatanatyam - Elements

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. ...

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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 - Elements

Whenever the Golden Temple is mentioned, we tend automatically to think of the beautiful Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, which is known worldwide by that name. However, there is another Golden Temple down South - the great Nataraja temple at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.

This temple figures prominently in Tamil Shaivite literature and is considered to be one of the most holy spots dedicated to Lord Shiva, next in importance to Mount Kailash itself.

(See also: Nataraja, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

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

Vazhuvoor (or Vizhuvur) is one of the original styles of Bharatanatyam. The main distinctive features include: rich sringar elements wide range of dancing pace softer facial abhinaya extremely elaborate movements deep sitting positions

Please remove this notice after the article has been expanded. Details are on this talk page or at Wikipedia:Requests for expansion. Indian dance usually refers to traditional dance from India, such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak , Kuchipudi, Odissi, Mohiniattam or Manipuri. Indian dance is based on the treatise Natyashasthra by the sage Bharatha, which explains the Indian art of acting. Acting or natya is a br ...

Read more here: » Indian dance: Encyclopedia - Indian dance

Varnam is one of the most important parts of Carnatic music. It has two types: Tāna varnam Pāda varnam On the concert stage, the varnam occurs quite often. At the opening of any concert, one varnam will be performed. Varnams are considered vocal exercises in a particular raga. The patterns in a varnam are considered to be characteristic patterns of a particular raga or scale. Varnams are considered the most complex of the vocal exercises in Carnatic Music. They are designed to help develop ...

Read more here: » Varnam: Encyclopedia - Varnam

Kathak is an Indian dance form that arose from the Vaishnava devotees dancing to the episodes from Krishna's life. Originally a Northern Indian temple dance, it was transformed to a court dance in the Mughal era. The new Muslim influence brought with it certain changes to the dance form: what had been a largely devotional practice now became more a courtly entertainment, and to that end various changes were effected. The demi-plié stance of most other Indian dance forms gave way to straight legs, and as many as 150 ankle bells on eac ...

Including:

• Kathak - Early history
• Kathak - Muslim influence
• Kathak - Change in the era of Radha-Krishna
• Kathak - Spread
• Kathak - Today
• Kathak - Modern Repertoire

Read more here: » Kathak: Encyclopedia - Kathak

Bhakti yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. Traditionally there are 9 forms of bhakti yoga. Hindu movements in which bhakti yoga is the main practice are called bhakti movements. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha (the others being Karma, Raja and Jnana Yoga). Bhakti yoga - The Philosophy and Development of Bhakti. Bhakti is the Hindu term that signifies a blissful, selfless an ...

Including:

• Bhakti yoga - The Philosophy and Development of Bhakti
• Bhakti yoga - The Bhagavad Gita

Read more here: » Bhakti yoga: Encyclopedia - Bhakti yoga

She started her Bharatanatyam lessons at the age of six, and became one of the top young Bharata Natyam dancers largely due to the efforts of Anita Guha, her guru. By the age of ten, Medha Hari had already received two excellent reviews in The Hindu, as well as many articles in other leading newspapers and magazines. Her dance performances have been broadcast by major Indian TV channels, such as Doordarshan, Jaya TV, and others. Medha Hari has won a number of top dance competitions and was awarded numerous prizes in Bharathanat ...

See also:

Medha Hari, Medha Hari - Background in Bharatanatyam, Medha Hari - Style of Bharatanatyam, Medha Hari - Bharatanatyam tradition and lineage, Medha Hari - External link

Read more here: » Medha Hari: Encyclopedia II - Medha Hari - Background in Bharatanatyam

Medha Hari has studied with the guru who was awarded the Best Natyacharya (best dance teacher) title from Indian Fine Arts Society (Chennai) for two consecutive years, Best Natyacharya from Nrityopasana and Nritya Kalaimani. Smt. Anita Guha, received her formal training in Bharata Natyam from Sri Govindaraj Pillai of Bangalore, and later perfected her skills under the guidance of Smt. Ananda Shankar Jayanth. ...

See also:

Medha Hari, Medha Hari - Background in Bharatanatyam, Medha Hari - Style of Bharatanatyam, Medha Hari - Bharatanatyam tradition and lineage, Medha Hari - External link

Read more here: » Medha Hari: Encyclopedia II - Medha Hari - Bharatanatyam tradition and lineage

She debuted in a 1968 film Sapnon ka Saudagar, playing a young teen opposite the ageing superstar Raj Kapoor. She became one of the top stars of the 1970s. Her fans called her "The Dream Girl of Bollywood". She starred in many movies and is perhaps best remembered for her glamour, style, and accomplished dancing. She also achieved some strong dramatic or comedic moments in films like Lal Patthar, Seeta aur Geeta, Sholay, < ...

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Hema Malini, Hema Malini - Career, Hema Malini - Personal life, Hema Malini - Filmography

Read more here: » Hema Malini: Encyclopedia II - Hema Malini - Career

Chennai's culture reflects its diverse population. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five week-long Music Season, which has been described as one of the world's largest cultural events. The Music Season encompasses performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city. Chennai is also known for the classical Indian dance, the Bharatanatyam, which is also the official dance of Tamil Nadu. An important cultural centre for Bharatanatyam is Kalakshetra (Sanskrit for "place of the arts"), located on ...

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Chennai, Chennai - History, Chennai - Geography, Chennai - Climate, Chennai - Layout, Chennai - Administration, Chennai - Economy, Chennai - Demographics, Chennai - Culture, Chennai - Tourism, Chennai - Transport, Chennai - Media, Chennai - Education, Chennai - Sports

Read more here: » Chennai: Encyclopedia II - Chennai - Culture

Chennai's culture reflects its diverse population. The city is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five week-long Music Season, which has been described as one of the world's largest cultural events. The Music Season encompasses performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the city. Chennai is also known for the classical Indian dance, the Bharatanatyam, which is also the official dance of Tamil Nadu. An important cultural centre for Bharatanatyam is Ka ...

See also:

Chennai, Chennai - History, Chennai - Geography, Chennai - Climate, Chennai - Layout, Chennai - Administration, Chennai - Economy, Chennai - Demographics, Chennai - Culture, Chennai - Tourism, Chennai - Transport, Chennai - Media, Chennai - Education, Chennai - Sports

Read more here: » Chennai: Encyclopedia II - Chennai - Culture

Main article: Indian classical dance, Indian folk dances Indian classical dance is performed in different styles. Its theory can be traced back to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni (400 BC). Its various currents forms include Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Mohiniaattam, Kathak and Sattriya. Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by Bharata Muni, a sage from Tamil nadu, , who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance. It is also call ...

See also:

Arts and entertainment in India, Arts and entertainment in India - Architecture, Arts and entertainment in India - Literature, Arts and entertainment in India - Music, Arts and entertainment in India - Dance, Arts and entertainment in India - New Media, Arts and entertainment in India - Cinema, Arts and entertainment in India - Radio, Arts and entertainment in India - Television, Arts and entertainment in India - Major Events, Arts and entertainment in India - Professional Events, Arts and entertainment in India - Ametuer Events

Read more here: » Arts and entertainment in India: Encyclopedia II - Arts and entertainment in India - Dance

Iyer women are noted for their culture and tradition. Proud of their culture, they are uncompromising in their stand. If the Iyers have been able to retain many aspects of their culture, and if they are indeed among the most disciplined yet progressive brahmins, the credit must indeed go to Iyer women. Iyer women have played a major role in propagating Carnatic music and the classical dance form called Bharatanatyam. The Iyer woman is often portrayed as fair skinned woman draped in a nine yard saree, also known as madisaror[Kosha] in ...

See also:

Iyer, Iyer - Spiritual and philosophical beliefs, Iyer - Rituals Ceremonies and Festivals, Iyer - Origins, Iyer - Social and political issues, Iyer - Iyer Women, Iyer - Traditional Iyer Ethics, Iyer - Iyers today, Iyer - Some notable Iyers in the Modern Era

Read more here: » Iyer: Encyclopedia II - Iyer - Iyer Women

India offers a number of classical dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. Each form represents the culture and ethos of a particular region or a group of people. The seven main styles are Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, Manipuri and Kathakali. There are many types of dance in India, from those which are deeply religious in content, often based on old Vedic or Hindu folk traditions, to those ...

See also:

Culture of India, Culture of India - Cultural policy, Culture of India - History, Culture of India - Drama and theatre, Culture of India - Literature, Culture of India - Dance, Culture of India - Music, Culture of India - Art, Culture of India - Painting, Culture of India - Movies, Culture of India - Recreation and sports, Culture of India - Cuisine, Culture of India - Different communities, Culture of India - Political culture

Read more here: » Culture of India: Encyclopedia II - Culture of India - Dance

After a long and controversial affair, she married the actor Dharmendra in 1980, as his second wife. (The marriage is now coming under some legal scrutiny, as it seems that the pair declared themselves Muslims in order to marry under Islamic marriage rules.) They have two children Esha Deol (born 1982) and Ahana Deol. She and her husband have been involved in politics, as supporters of the BJP. ...

See also:

Hema Malini, Hema Malini - Career, Hema Malini - Personal life, Hema Malini - Filmography

Read more here: » Hema Malini: Encyclopedia II - Hema Malini - Personal life

Bold textExternal links=. [http://www.madura == ...

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Madurai, Madurai - History, Madurai - Administration, Madurai - Demographics, Madurai - People and culture, Madurai - City architecture and planning, Madurai - Education, Madurai - Economy, Madurai - Industrial development, Madurai - Present problems, Madurai - Slow development, Madurai - Brain drain, Madurai - Lack of initiatives, Madurai - The way ahead, Madurai - Notable people born in Madurai, Madurai - Headline text

Read more here: » Madurai: Encyclopedia II - Madurai - Notable people born in Madurai