Ancient cultures of Orissa have the most
expressive forms of music & dance. These two highly evolved art forms have manifested
themselves in some of the most evocative & celebrated performances from not only the
professional classical exponents but also from the various folk & tribal groups in
Orissa.
Much of orissa's ancient activities revolved around the beautiful temples that were a
hundant in the rural areas and the commercial centers. In the big temples, the role of
dance and music in temple rituals was important enough to accord them a separate enclosure
- the Natamandira - for their full development.
The famous Natamandiras, Beautifully embellished with figures in various poses of dance
and musicians handling a variety of instruments are witness to this integral role in
temple life.
What also comes to light is the important revelation that the devdasis or female temple
dancers was not only prevalent to the temples in central and south India. But also existed
in Orissa in a highly sophisticated form.
The current form of Odissi is the product of a 20th century revival. Dedicated scholars
and dance enthusiasts carefully researched manuscripts and studied the sculpture, painting
and poetry of the region. They also met and observed the performances of the few existing
performers, in order to revive and restructure Odissi as a unique classical dance style
adapted to the requirements of formal stage presentation. Over the years Odissi has become
one of the most popular classical dance styles.
The more talented devdasis were selected for training in the secret arts of the temple
dance - Odissi - which today has become a highly stylized and elegant dance form. The
annual Konark Dance Festival held in the amphitheatre with the spectacular Sun Temple at
the backdrop is one of the most superb expositions of this graceful temple dance.
Odissi is one of the seven principal Indian classical dance forms, from the eastern state
of Orissa in India. Odissi dance hails from the state of Orissa, a land of temples. Today,
Odissi visually delights audiences by bringing to life the vast number of dance sculptures
abounding on the Orissan temple walls. Its deep spirituality stems from its roots in the
temples as a form of worship.
The Maharis (dancing girls) performed the dance as a part of the daily rituals in the
temples. Under the patronage of kings from various dynasties, several temples were built,
and music and dance flourished with the passage of time. The thirteenth century Sun Temple
of Konark is a brilliant example, where innumerable panels and friezes portray this dance
form. With successive political changes, the Odissi dance moved from the temples to the
courts of the kings and then to the streets where it became a mode of entertainment
performed by boys (Gotipuas) dressed as girls. As a result, the sophistication and
austerity of the original form was lost. Later, in the post-independence era, the scholars
and gurus of Odissi used the references from temple carvings and scripture to revive and
reconstruct the dance from the Gotipua and Mahari forms and restore it to its current
refined form.
Odissi, in comparison to the other Indian classical dance styles, is characterized by its
fluid torso movements, grace, sculpturesque poses, aesthetic beauty, spirituality, and
haunting music.
HISTORY
1. The Jain Caves
In Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa, there exists Jain caves, which date back to
the 2nd century BC which served as a royal palace for King Kharavela. It is suggested by
scholars that Odissi is the archeologically oldest Indian classical dance form due to
sculptural evidence found in the caves. At least one frieze depicts a dancer and musicians
carved in the stone.
2. The Natya Shastra
Sage Bharata's The Natya Shastra, written in 2nd century AD, speaks of four types of
Pravrittis (local usages): Avanti, Dakshinatya, Panchali, and Odra Magadhi and the areas
where each type is employed. Some scholars have interpreted that Odra Magadhi is a
reference to Odissi, in fact, "the earliest literary reference to Odissi".
3. The Buddhist Hills
In the excavated ruins of the Buddhist Ratnagiri hills in Orissa dating back to the
6th-9th centuries, several panels and icons of dance are found resembling present day
Odissi dance.
4. The Tantric Temples
Also, in the Tantric temples, such as the Hirapur Shrine, many of the yoginis especially
are depicted in poses reminiscent of present day Odissi.
5. The Shaivite Temples
In Orissa, when Hinduism became a big centre of worship of Shiva, it is only natural that
dance would be used as a form of worship, since Lord Shiva was a master dancer himself. He
is the Nataraj, the Cosmic Lord of Dance. The Shaivite temples of Bhubaneswar display
innumerable sculptures in postures of Odissi, like the one shown here.
6. The Vaishnovite Temples
In Orissa, a unique form of Vaishnovism arose with the worship of Lord Jagannath, a form
of Vishnu, respected as the Lord of the Universe. The Jagannath temple and the magnificent
Konarak Sun temple are two very significant examples of Vaishnovite temples. Both the
Jagannath temple and particularly the Konarak temple abound with an array of dancing
sculptures carved into the temple walls, giving testimony that a particular school of
dancing had continued from the Shaivite art tradition to the Vaishnovite art form.
7. The Maharis and Gotipuas
The consecration of females to the service of temple dancing began in the Shaivite temples
and continued in the Jagannath temple in service of the Lord Jagannath. These female
attendants have been known as maharis (great women) or devadasis (servants of the lord)
and have been considered the wives of Lord Jagannath. Odissi developed through their art.
A class of boy dancers emerged in the 17th century called gotipuas. Goti means single and
pua means boy. They brought the dance style out of the temples and performed in public.
8. The Mughal Rule
During the Mughal rule of India, the duties of the maharis, the temple dancers, shifted as
they were also employed to entertain the royal family and courtiers in the royal courts.
They became associated with concumbinage in respect to the king and ceased to be respected
solely as servants to Lord Jagannath.
9. The British Empire
Although the British have helped India in several ways, a decline and degradation occurred
in all the Indian classical dance styles during the British period, especially when a bill
was passed prohibiting temple dancing. Most of these dancers associated themselves with
prostitution to survive.
10. The Revival of Odissi Dance
During the period of Nationalism in India, Mahatma Gandhi enspirited his entire country to
fight for their independence. Gandhi worked for the emancipation of women also. The
nationalistic leaders instigated the cultural renaissance and regeneration of India
including the revival of the Indian dances as girls from respectable families learnt the
almost extinct dance styles. At independence time, only Odissi had yet to be rediscovered,
and with the help of many, including Padma Vibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Odissi was
revived as a classical art form in 1955.
REPORTIER
The repertoire of Odissi not only consists of dance items to present in a solo program but
also represents a process in training, a process in following the spiritual path of Odissi
where the Guru (teacher) is like the spiritual mentor, and a process in maturity. Today, a
full traditional solo program consists of a Mangalacharan to begin the program, possibly
Batu Nrutya, one or two Pallavis, one or more Abhinayas and Mokshya to conclude. Group
dance dramas have gained increasing popularity in Odissi. In Odissi, as in the other
Indian classical dance styles, the dances are classified as nritta (pure technical dance
with no meaning), nritya (expressional dance having meaning), and natya (drama).
1. Mangalacharan
Mangalacharan marks the entrance of the dancer on stage in the Odissi style. The dancer
invokes the blessings of the presiding deity, Lord Jagannath (the Lord of the Universe)
for an auspicious beginning. The dancer offers salutations to Mother Earth, the teacher,
the accompanists, and the audience. The central piece of the item is a prayer in praise of
a Hindu God or Goddess.
In the Traditional Training Path
Mangalacharan begins as an invocational prayer in praise of the Hindu Lord Ganesh, the
remover of all obstacles.
2. Batu Nrutya
Batu Nrutya or Batu, the second item of the Odissi repertoire, is a basic example of
nritta or pure dance. In this dance, particularly, the interrelationship between temple
sculptural art and Odissi dance is established with an array of sculpturesque poses taken
directly from the innumerable dancing sculptures adorning the temples of Orissa. These
poses are stringed together with steps in different rhythms.
In the Traditional Training Path
The Guru and student take an oath, Batu Mantra, for the training and molding of the
student's body to perform the technique in the form of the first pure dance.
3. Pallavi
The third item, Pallavi, is a nritta or pure dance like Batu. However, Pallavi differs
from Batu in that it is more music oriented. Pallavi means elaboration. It is applicable
here not only to the dance but to the music which accompanies it. Pallavi is woven with a
series of lyrical movements bringing out the elaborate grace and charm of Odissi.
In the Traditional Training Path
In Pallavi, the technique blossoms in the dancer as he/she shows mastery and artistry in
the Odissi technique.
4. Abhinaya
Abhinaya, the fourth item of the Odissi repertoire, is mime or nritya using a most
intricate language composed of facial expressions, hand gestures, and through the use of
the body. The dancer vividly depicts a song or poem. Although some Abhinayas are
devotional songs, often the love theme or srngara rasa is explored between a nayaka and
nayika (hero and heroine) usually Lord Krishna and Radha. For many centuries, the Odissi
repertoire in the temple solely consisted of songs from the Gita Govindam, which the
temple dancing girls (Maharis) would sing and dance to for the pleasure of the Lord. Gita
Govindam is a famous poem, written in 12th century by poet Jayadeva, a great devotee of
Lord Jagannath. Gita Govindam consists of 24 ashtapadis (8-versed songs), telling the
story of Lord Krishna and Radha, showing their love in physical separation and finally in
spiritual unification.
In the Traditional Training Path
The dancer achieves expertise in expression through the vivid portrayal of songs in
Abhinaya.
Nava Rasa (Nine Moods)
There are 9 moods or sentiments in Indian classical dance, called rasas. They are: srngara
(love), hasya (laughter), karuna (sadness), raudra (anger), vira (pride), bhayanaka
(fear), bibhatsa (disgust), adbhuta (wonder), and shanta (peace). Rasa is two-fold,
experienced by the dancer and the audience. Situations are depicted using the state of the
rasa, called bhava.
5. Mokshya
The fifth and final item of the Odissi repertoire, Mokshya, parallels the concept of
Mokshya or liberation in Hinduism, in which the dancer attempts to attain liberation or
salvation in the ultimate surrender to God through dance. Mokshya is a fast paced dance of
ecstacy.
In the Traditional Training Path
In Mokshya, the dancer uses the technique to dance with ecstatic joy, eventually to
release him/her from it and unify with God.
6. Dance Dramas
Since the revival of Odissi dance, the dance style has seen the addition of a new form --
the dance drama. The glory of the Odissi dance drama form banks upon the style's
expressive and sculptural characteristics. It is particularly effective in displaying the
love of a nayaka and nayika (hero and heroine).
Odissi, as also the other Indian classical dance styles, has movements classified as
tandava: masculine, vigorous dance corresponding to the dance of Hindu Lord Shiva and
lasya: feminine, graceful dance corresponding to Shiva's consort, Parvati.
At the base of the Odissi technique are the two basic postures unique to the style -
tribhangi, a pose formed with three bends of the body formed by a deflection of the torso,
and bend of the head and knees with multiple triangular forms; chauka, a squarelike stance
representing Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Odissi. The tribhangi position is
found in various sculptures on the walls of the Orissan temples. The fluidity of the upper
torso in Odissi is very unique to the dance style. While Odissi shares many of its aspects
with the other Indian classical dance styles, it has various technical elements, which are
unique to the dance style also.
Order of Training in Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's Style
1. Exercises to prepare the body
2. Technique
a. feet positions
b. head movements
c. eye movements
d. neck movements
e. torso movements
f. body bending
g. hand gestures
h. arm movements
i. body positions
j. poses
k. movement patterns
l. walks
m. steps
n. jumps
o. spins
3. Dances
PARAMPARA
Similar to the training of other Indian art forms, the training of Odissi is achieved
through the Guru-Shishya Parampara (loosely translated as the teacher-student tradition).
"Gu" means dark and "Ru" means light. So, "Guru" may be
translated as darkness to light, or possibly one who leads from darkness to light. Guru is
a teacher of life or a spiritual mentor who leads the shishya (student) from blindness or
ignorance to bliss, wisdom, and enlightenment.
The dance Guru guides the disciple in following the Hindu path of dance to finally attain
liberation. The Guru observes the disciple's strengths and weaknesses and treats the
disciple as a unique individual. The Guru often tests the disciple.
Two concepts related to Guru are seva and Guru dakshina. Seva refers to the student doing
work for the Guru. Guru dakshina is the payment to the Guru which traditionally was often
achieved through seva. The disciple would live with, eat with, learn from, and do work for
the Guru.
ATTIRE
Orissa is recognized in India for its handlooms, especially the Orissa saris (six yard
material draped around as clothing for Indian women). The saris usually have bright
eye-catching color combinations, such as the ones you see displayed in the titles, banners
and borders above, and different patterns, animals, etc repeated over the length of the
saris. The state is also known for the intricate silver filigree jewellery. In Odissi
dance, both the sari and jewellery are showcased in the attire.
Originally, the Orissa saris were draped around the dancers in a specific manner for the
costume. However, due to time constraints and for greater ease and neatness, costumes are
now stitched in that specific manner, so that the dancers could easily change into
different costumes during a program.
There are several pieces of jewellery that a dancer must wear: a choker, a longer
necklace, armlets, bracelets, a belt, anklets, bells, earrings, a piece placed on the bun,
and a seenthi (a piece placed on the hair and forehead).
The dancers also wear an intricate head piece, delicately made out of solo (Styrofoam),
representing flowers around the hair, and a piece protruding upward, representing the top
of a temple. The head piece used to be made out of real flowers, but for practical
reasons, it has been replaced with the Styrofoam.
The makeup for Odissi is similar to the makeup in the other Indian classical dance styles.
Black eyeliner, called kajol, is applied to the eyes to elongate them to the side. The
dancer applies red lipstick and blush. Other makeup is used for greater definition of the
facial features. A bindi or red dot (symbolizing marriage) with a white pattern around,
traditionally applied with chandan (sandalwood paste), is placed on the forehead in
between the eyebrows and below the seenthi.
Odissi music is a unique blend of North and South Indian classical music but with its own
peculiarities. Scholars have argued that it is its own distinct form of classical music
evident in the literary material of the past. Its allure derives from its own stylistic
rendering. Today, the Odissi musical orchestra consists of the Guru or pakhawaj (two
headed drum) player, one or two male or female vocalists, one or more of the following:
sitar (stringed instrument) player, violinist, flute player, and possibly a manjira (small
cymbals) player. |