Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)
by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words
This page relates 鈥楾he Vishnudharmottara-purana and the Indian Classical Dances鈥� of the study on the elements of Art and Architecture according to the Vishnudharmottara Purana: an ancient text whose third book deals with various artisan themes such as Architecture, Painting, Dance, Grammar, etc. Many chapters are devoted to Hindu Temple architecture and the iconography of Deities and their installation rites and ceremonies.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2. The Vi峁ａ箛udharmottara-pur膩峁嘺 and the Indian Classical Dances
There are eight kinds of classical dance form of India recognised by Sangeet Natak Academy. These are-叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨, Kathakal墨, 厂补迟谤墨测腻, Manipuri and 惭辞丑颈苍墨测补峁弓补尘. The classical dance forms of India have numerous elements through which a performer presents a particular dance form properly. In every classical dance form of India the hand gestures, postures, foot works, expressions etc, are very important for projecting a concept through Dance. All these elements are elaborately discussed in the 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补, the 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺 and the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 as well. It is important to specify that all these treatises are almost similar in their views broadly, though the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 seems to have different opinions sometimes.
The 丑补蝉迟补尘耻诲谤腻蝉 or hastas i.e. hand gestures play an important role in every classical dance form of India. Actually the classical dance forms viz. 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨 are fully based on the 础产丑颈苍补测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺 which has resemblances with the 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补. On the other hand in 厂补迟谤墨测腻 form of Dance, the Dancers follow the 艢谤墨丑补蝉迟补尘耻办迟补惫补濒墨 which also follows the 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补. So, these Dance forms i.e. 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨 and 厂补迟谤墨测腻 almost have similarities in projecting the hand gestures. On the other hand the Dance forms like Kathakal墨 and 惭辞丑颈苍墨测补峁弓补尘 derives their hand gestures from the text of 贬补蝉迟补濒补办峁峁嘺诲墨辫颈办腻 and Manipuri Dance form has its own dancing gestures and postures. Though in 惭辞丑颈苍墨测补峁弓补尘 and Kathakal墨, the names of some hand gestures viz., 辫补迟腻办补, 艣耻办补迟耻峁囜笉补, kartarimukha, 艣颈办丑补谤补 etc. are similar as that of the hand gestures found in the 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘 etc., the executions of these hand gestures are totally different.[1] So, some differences can be noticed among these dance forms. The 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 is greatly influenced by the 狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补 and that is why the influence of this work can be seen on some of the classical Dance forms of India. The gestures and postures of Dance as found in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 as almost same with the Classical Dance forms viz. 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨 and 厂补迟谤墨测腻. The similarities and the differences between the hand postures of Indian classical dances such as 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨 and 厂补迟谤墨测腻 and those of the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 are shown here.[2]
Figures: Pat膩ka, Tri辫补迟腻办补, 础谤腻濒补, 艢ukatu峁囜笉a, 惭耻峁ａ弓颈, 艢墨khara, 厂奴肠墨, 鲍谤补驳补艣墨谤峁, 惭峁沢补艣墨谤峁, Kolapadma / Alapadma, Catura, Bhramara, 贬补峁僺补辫补办峁,Mukula
Figure: Single hand gestures of the Classical Dance forms such as 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨 and 厂补迟谤墨测腻 of India which do not resemble with the views of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 have been shown here with pictorial depiction[3]
Figures:
碍补谤迟补谤墨尘耻办丑补 in Classical Dances;
碍补谤迟补谤墨尘耻办丑补 in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺;
Ardhacandra in Classical Dances;
Ardhacandra in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺;
Kapittha in Classical Dances;
Kapittha in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺;
碍丑补峁璦办腻尘耻办丑补 in Classical Dances;
碍丑补峁璦办腻尘耻办丑补 in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺;
笔补诲尘补办辞艣补 in Classical Dances;
笔补诲尘补办辞艣补 in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺
Figure: Combined Hand Gestures in Classical dances viz. 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘, Kathak, 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�, 翱岣峣蝉墨 and 厂补迟谤墨测腻 of India resemble with the views of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in many ways which are shown here through pictures[4]
Figures: 础帽箩补濒颈 Kapota; 碍补谤办补峁璦 Svastika; 顿辞濒腻 笔耻峁补辫耻峁璦
Figure: Standing postures in Classical dances of India resemble with the views of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 have been shown here.
Figures: 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补 in 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞�[5] ;
Sama鈥�辫腻诲补 in 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘[6] ;
惭补峁囜笉补濒补 in 翱岣峣蝉墨[7] ;
惭补峁囜笉补濒补 in 惭辞丑颈苍墨测补峁弓补尘[8] ;
膧濒颈岣峢补 in Kathak[9] ;
膧濒颈岣峢补 in 叠丑补谤补迟补苍腻峁瓂补尘[10] ;
笔谤补迟测腻濒颈岣峢补 in 碍耻肠颈辫耻岣嵞� Dance[11] ;
笔谤补迟测腻濒颈岣峢补 or 艢补谤补 痴补谤颈峁峁嘺 pada sthiti[12] in 厂补迟谤墨测腻 Dance[13]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
https://youtu.be/RcFAm05ICR0
[2]:
Pictures are taken by myself. Date: 16.09.2021
[3]:
Pictures are taken by myself. Date: 16.09.2021
[8]:
Source: Google, Photo Credit: Sakari Viika.
[9]:
Source: Google, Article: Masculine energy and feminine charm in the Dancing couple鈥檚 Kathak at Saptak Posted by: Dr. S.D. Desai, Photo credit: Esplanade.com
[10]:
Picture is taken by Myself, Dancer: Srestha Deka, Date: 16.09.2021
[11]: