Festivals, Dance and Puppetry

Dances
 Earliest References

• Community dancing at Bhimbetka.

• Sculpture of Bronze dancing girl of the Harappan civilization

• Bharata Muni’s famous work Natya Shastra (200 BC – 200 AD) - various
facets of Indian classical dance- Techniques, postures, emotions, ornaments,
stage and audience
 Aspects
• Natya Shastra – Two basic aspects of Indian classical dance

Lasya – Denoting grace, bhava, rasa and abhinaya

Tandava –more emphasis on rhythm and movement

Abhinaya Darpan – three basic elements

• Nritta – basic dance steps, performed rhythmically but devoid of any expression or
mood

• Natya – Dramatic representations, story telling through the dance recital

• Nritya –Sentiment and emotions evoked through dance Includes the mime and the
different methods of expression - mudras in dance.
 Classical Dances

Bharatnatyam Kuchipudi

Kathakali Mohiniattam

Odissi Manipuri

Kathak Sattriya
 Bharatnatyam

• Bharata Muni and natyam – Dance in Tamil

• Bharata = Bhava+ Raga + Taal
• Origin - Sadir – Solo dance performance of the devadasis Tamil Nadu -
Dashiattam

• E. Krishna Iyer revived this art form after the decline of devadasis system that
had led to the decline of the art form
• Initially performed by female dancers – now by male dancers as well
• Rukmini Devi Arundale – Global recognition to the dance.
• Fire Dance – Manifestation of fire in the
human body; most of the dance movements
resemble to the dancing flame
• Tandava + Lasya with emphasis on mudras
• Principal mudra is Kataka Mukha Hasta
• Knees are mostly bent – Weight is equally
distributed across both the feet
• Famous proponents – Yamini Krishnamurthy,
Lakshmi Viswanathan, Padma Subramaniam,
Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai
 Kuchipudi

• Originally performed by group of actors

going from village to village –
Kusselavas
• Andhra village – Kusselavapuri or
Kuchelapuram
• Popularised in 17th century, Siddhendra
Yogi formalised and systematised the
tradition
• Bhama Kalapam and many other plays
• Monopolised by male Brahmins -
devoted to Vaishnavism -Bhagavat
purana - Bhagavathalus
Some of the features of Kuchipudi
• Difficult foot movements; team performance

Themes -Bhagwata purana + Shringaara ras

• Daaru – a small composition of dance and song – specifically choreographed for the
revelation of each character
• Nritta, Nritya and Natya
• A manifestation of the earthly elements in the human body
• Kuchipudi recital – dancer + singer = dance-drama performance
• Accompanied with Carnatic music; violin and Mridangam being the principal
instruments
• Telugu language
• Important performances - Manduk Shabdam, Tarangam, Jala Chitra Nrityam
• Patronage of the Vijayanagar and Golconda rulers
• Balasaraswati and Ragini Devi revived this dance form
• Lakshminarayan Shastry (20th century) -solo recitals and female participation
 Kathakali
• Katha(story) + Kali (drama)
• Linked to Koodiyattam (Sanskrit drama
tradition) and Kalaripayattu
• Revived in 1930s by the famous Malayali
poet V.N. Menon under the patronage of
Mukunda Raja
• An all-male troupe performance
• Minimal use of props in the Kathakali
recital
• Elaborate facial make up; head gear used for
different characters
• Colours have their own significance
Green – nobility, divinity and Red – beside the nose
Virtue indicate royalty
Black – indicate evil and Yellow – saints and women
Wickedness
Red painted face – indicates evil White beard – beings with
higher consciousness and
divinity

• Dance + drama
• Kathakali recitals - eternal conflict between good and evil
• Themes – epics and the puranas ‘ballad of the east’
• Language in Kathakali songs – Manipravalam – a mixture of Malayalam and
Sanskrit
• Music is important to rightfully convey the entire drama to the viewers
• Gestures – crown jewel of the entire drama to the viewers
 Mohiniattam
• Mohiniattam – Enchantress+ Attam (Dance)
• Solo + group dance by women
• Developed by Vadivelu in 19th century
• Prominence under the rulers of Travancore (now Kerala)
• V. N. Menon – Malayali poet – revived it along with Kalyani Amma after it had fallen to obscurity
• Grace and elegance of Bharatnatyam + vigour of Kathakali
• Marked absence of thumping of footsteps + the footwork is gentle

Lasya aspect dominant in a Mohiniattam recital

• Costume – white and off-white principal colours and presence of gold coloured brocade designs
• No elaborate facial make-up – dancer wears a leather strap with bells (Ghungoo) on her ankles

Musical instruments – cymbals, Veena, drums, flute, etc

• Famous proponents – Sunanda Nair, Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, Madhuri Amma, Jayaprabha
Menon, etc
 Odissi
• Caves of Udayagiri-Khandagiri - Earliest
examples
• Odra Nritya – Mentioned in Natya Shastra
• Practiced by the ‘maharis' – patronised
by Jain King Kheravela
• Mahari system defunct with the advent of
Vaishnavism
• Gotipuas – Young boys recruited and
dressed as females – continued the art
form
• Nartala - the royal courts
• Mid-20th century, Odissi gained
international acclaim due to the efforts of
Charles Fabri and Indrani Rehman.
• Some of the features of Odissi are:
• Use of Mudras + postures to express emotions
• Tribhanga posture – Three blended form of the body is innate to Odissi
form
• Chowk posture – Hands spread out – Depicts masculinity.
• Lower body remains largely static and only torso moves.
• Hand gestures – important role to convey expressions during Nritiya
part.
• Instruments - Manjira (cymbals), Pakhawaj (Drums), Sitar, Flute, etc
• Dance form symbolises the elements of water
• Lyrics of Gita Govinda, written by Jayadeva – used along with
compositions of some local poets
• Famous proponents – Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Kelu Charan
Mohapatra, Sonal Mansingh, Sharon Lowen (USA), Myrla Barvie
(Argentina)
 Manipuri Dance
• Mythological origin - Celestial dance of Shiva and Parvati in the valleys of Manipur
along with the local Gandharvas.
• Traces its origin to the festival of Lai Haraoba.
• Gained prominence with the advent of Vaishnavism in 15th century.
• Performed by females.
• Raja Bhag Chandra of Manipur in 18th century revived Manipuri dance.
• Rabindranath Tagore popularised with its introduction in Shantiniketan.

Some of the features of Manipuri dance are

• Devotional dance
• Covered Faces with a thin veil;
• Hand gestures are gentle and movement of feet are important.
• Tandava + Lasya
• Females wear long skirts – focus mainly on slow and gracious movement of hand and
knee positions.
• Flute, Khartals (wood clapper), dhols,
etc accompany the music.
• Thang-Ta and Shankirtana are
influenced by Manipuri dance.
• Famous proponents – Nayana, Jhaveri
sisters, Suverna, Ranjana and
Darshana, Guru Bipin Singha, etc.
 Kathak
• Originates from the Ras Leela of Brajbhoomi
• Kathakar – Story tellers – who recited verses from the epic with gestures and
music.
• Mughal era - Court Dance
• Influenced by Persian costumes and styles of dancing.
• Revived by Lady Leela Sokhey in the 20th century.
• Development of the different gharanas as it is based on Hindustani style of
music.
• Kathak – accompanied with Dhrupad music – Taranas, thumris and ghazals
introduced during the Mughal period
• Famous proponents – Birju Maharaj, Laccchu Maharaj, Sitara Devi,
Damyanti Joshi, etc
 Sattriya
Vaishnava saint Shankaradeva (15th Century CE)
• Sattras
• Ancient text Natya Shastra of sage Bharat Muni
• Features of Sattriya dance:
• Amalgamation of various dance forms in Assam - Ojapali and Devdasi
• Devotional dance - Vaishnavite theme
• Nrittya + Nritya + Natya
• Dance performed in group by male monks - ‘Bhokots’
• Khol (drum), Cymbals (Manjira) and flute are the instruments
• Great emphasis on rhythmic syllables and dance postures of hand gestures
and footwork;
• Strictly laid down rules in respect of hand
gestures and footwork
• Costumes – males wear dhoti and Paguri
(turban); females wear traditional Assamese
jewellery, Ghuri and Chador – made in Pat
silk; waist cloth worn by both men and women
• Gayan-Bhayanar Nach and the Kharmanar
Nach
• Ankia Naat – A type of Sattriya – Involves
play or musical-drama; originally written in
Assamese-Maithili mix language – Brajavali
• Also called Bhaona and revolves around
stories of Lord Krishna.
 Chhau
Ghoomar/Gangore Purulia,
Bhil tribe Mayurbhanj,
Jharkhand

Garba
Folk Dance Gujarat
Garba Deep

Taranga Mel
Kalbelia Dance Goa
Rajasthan Multicoloured
costumes
 Gaddi Dance
Paika Dance
Himachal
Jharkhand – Odisha
Pradesh

Bhangra and
Giddha
Folk Dance
Punjab

Dadra
Jawara
Uttar Pradesh
Bundelkhand, MP
Puppetry
 Origins
• Puppetry has long been of interest in India – entertainment and educational
purposes
• Archaeological evidence – puppets with sockets attached to them – from Harappa
and Mohenjo-daro
• References of marionette theatre have been found in period around 500 BCE
• Oldest written reference – found in Tamil classic – Silappadikaram – written
around 1st and 2nd century BCE
• Philosophical importance – In Bhagwata Purana, God has been described as a
puppeteer, controlling the universe with three strings – Satta, Raja and Tama
• Similarly, in the Indian theatre, the narrator was called Sutradhar – holder or
strings
• Puppetry has imbibed elements of painting, sculpture, music, dance and drama –
creating a unique avenue of artistic expression
• Lack of devoted audience and financial security – led to a steady decline of this
art form
 String Puppet Shadow puppet Glove puppet Rod Puppet

• Kathputli • Tholu • Pavakoothu • Yampuri

• Kundhei Bommalata
• Putul Nachh
• Gombeyatta • Ravanchhaya
• Bommalattam • Togalu
Gombeyatta
 String Puppets
• Marionettes have a presence in the Indian cultural traditions

• Puppets are generally 8-9 inch miniature figures chiseled out of wood

• Oil color is used to paint the wood with skin color and facial features

• Small wooden pipes are created – to form the limbs; body covered with colorful
miniature dress and stitched

• Miniature jewelries and other accessories are attached for a realistic feel

• Strings attached to small holes in the hands, head and back of the body which are then
controlled by the puppeteer
 Kathputli
• Traditional string puppets of Rajasthan are
known as Kathputli

• Derived its name from – kath – meaning wood

and – putli – means doll

• puppets are covered in traditional bright

Rajasthani dress

• Show is accompanied by a dramatic folk music

• Unique feature – absence of legs

• Strings attached to the fingers of the puppeteer

 Kundhei

• String puppets from Odisha is called

Kundhei
• Made of light wood and dressed in long
skirts
• Specific features – more joints – giving
puppeteer more flexibility
• Strings are attached to a triangular prop
• Marked influence of Odissi dance on
Kandhei puppet shows
 Gombeyatta

• Traditional puppet show of

Karnataka

• Styled and designed on the various

characters of Yakshagana theatres

• Unique features – more than one

puppeteer – used to manipulate the
puppets
 Bommalattam

• Puppetry indigenous to the region of Tamil

Nadu
• Combines features of rod and string
puppetry
• Strings attached to an iron ring, worn by the
puppeteer on his head
• Largest and heaviest marionettes found in
India – some as large as 4.5ft in height and
10kg in weight
• Bommalattam has four different stages –
Vinayak Puja, Komali, Amanattam and
Pusenkanattam
 Shadow Puppets

• Features on the shadow puppetry are

• Flat figures – cut out of leather

• Painted identically on both sides of the leather

• Puppets placed on a white screen – with light falling from behind, creating
a shadow on the screen

• Figures are manipulated – silhouettes – created on blank screen create

telling imagery
 Togalu Gombeyatta Ravanchhaya
• Shadow theatre popular in • Most theatrical of shadow
Karnataka puppetry
• Unique feature – variation • Popular form in Odisha region
in puppet size based on • Puppets are made of deer skin
social status and depict bold, dramatic
postures
• Kings and religious figures
are characterized by large • They do not have any joints
attached to them – more
puppets while common complex art
people and servants are
shown by smaller puppets • Use of non-human puppets,
such as trees and animals
• Artists are extremely trained –
creating a lyrical and sensitive
theatrical narration
 Tholu Bommalata

• Shadow theatre of Andhra Pradesh

• Accompanied by a classical background in the music
• Themed around mythological and devotional tales of the epics and Puranas
• Puppets are larger in size and colored on both sides
 Glove Puppets
• Also known as sleeve, hand or palm puppets

• Small figures with head and arms wearing a long, flowing skirt

• Generally made of cloth or wood; also paper puppet

• Puppeteer wears the puppet as glove, manipulating head with his index finger

• Two hands – manipulated using the thumb and middle finger

• Popular all across India

• Performance usually accompanied by rhythmic beats of drums or dholak

 Pavakoothu

• Traditional glove puppet show of

Kerala
• Originated in the period around 18th
century AD
• Puppets decorated with colorful
headgears, feathers and face paints
• Colors and dress – evidence of
heavy influence of Kathakali dance
• Themed around narrations of
Ramayana and Mahabharata
 Rod Puppet

• Rod Puppet is a puppet constructed

around a central rod secured to
• the head.
• A large glove covers the rod and is
attached to the neck of the puppet.
• A rod puppet is controlled by the
puppeteer moving the metal rods
attached to the hands of the puppet (or
any other limbs) and by turning the
central rod secured to the head.
 Yampuri

• Traditional rod puppet from

Bihar
• Puppets are generally made of
wood and are without any joints
• Carved out of single piece of
wood and then painted in bright
colors
 Putul Nachh
• Traditional rod puppet dance of Bengal-
Odisha-Assam region
• Figures are generally 3-4 feet high and
dressed like characters of Jatra
• Three joints – at the neck and at the shoulders
• Puppeteers control a single puppet by a rod
attached to his waist; placed behind a high
curtain
• Performance is accompanied by a musical
troop of 3-4 musicians playing harmonium,
cymbals and tabla
Festivals
 It is a nine days long
festival celebrated at the
Brahmotsavam
Venkateshwara Temple,
Tirupati.

Andhra Pradesh Ugadi Telugu New Year

It celebrated the victory

Dasara
of good on evil.

It is celebrated when Sun

Makar Sankranti transit from the
Capricorn.
 It is the agriculture festival, celebrated by the Adi tribe of Arunachal
Solung
Pradesh.
Losar Tibetan New Year
It is a festival of prosperity celebrated by the Apatanis of Arunachal
Murung
Pradesh.

It is a festival of the Idu-Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. They

Reh
worship goddess Nayani Inyitaya for the welfare of their family.

Arunachal It is an agricultural festival of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated by the

Mopin
Pradesh Galo tribe.
Celebrated by the Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh for the
Boori Boot
successful harvest of the year.
Monpa New Year of Monpa Tribe
Myoko People worship Sun and Moon during the festival.

It is an agricultural rite observed by Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh.

Dhree Festival Fowls, eggs, and animals are presented to Sun and Moon Gods to
avoid famine in the region.
 It is a Hindu festival where
a fair is held at Kamakhya People worship Devi
Temple, Guwahati, Assam. Bihula Mansa for the welfare of
Ambubachi It honours the femininity by their families.
celebrating the annual
menstrual cycle of Devi
Kamakhya.
Sun God, along with his
wife Usha is worshipped
Assam It is set of three festivals, Bihar Chhath Pooja during this festival to
namely Rongali Bihu, Kati thank them for bestowing
Bihu Bihu, and Bhogali Bihu. It life on Earth.
marks the harvesting of
Paddy crop.
Baishakhi of Assam Mainly celebrated by the
Baishagu celebrated by the Bodo Maithil Brahmins of
tribe. Madhushravani Bihar. It marks the
arrival of Monsoon in the
Dehing Celebrates the rich culture region.
Patkai and heritage of Assam.
 It is the longest celebrated Dussehra in the world. It is
Chhattisgarh Bastar Dussehra
celebrated for 75 days from August to October.

Ladainha Thanksgiving festival of India

Goa Mando festival It is a dance festival where people perform Mando dance.
Chikalkalo Monsoon mud festival of Goa.

It is a nine days long festival where people worship nine

Navratri
forms of Devi and perform Garba and Dandiya dances.

Gujarat
Celebrated to mark the transit of Sun northwards from tropic
Uttrayana of Capricorn to tropic of Cancer. Kite festival is organized on
this day.

It celebrates the harvest of Rabi crops in Haryana and

Haryana Baisakhi
Punjab.
Himachal Pradesh Magha Saaji Makar Sankranti of Himachal Pradesh.
 It is celebrated on the last day of New Year celebrations in the
Dosmoche festival
Leh region.
It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Tibetan Calendar in the
Matho Nagrang
Matho Monastery.
Jammu &
Kashmir Losar Celebrated in the Ladakh region. It is the Tibetan New Year.

It is celebrated in the Leh region. It marks the birthday of a

Galdan Namchot
great Buddhist saint Tsongkhapa.

It is a spring festival which marks the new flowers at the Saal

Sarhul
trees.
It is a harvest festival dedicated to Karma dev for bestowing
Karma
with power and youthfulness.

Jharkhand It celebrates wrinkling. It marks the beginning of the

Hal Punhya
ploughing.
It is a harvest festival and marks the start of the sowing
Rohini
season.

Tusu It is a harvest festival celebrated in January every year.

Karnataka Makar Sankranti It is celebrated when Sun transit from the Capricorn.

It is the most important harvest festival of Kerala

Onam
celebrated in the month of September.

Kerala Vishu New Year of Kerala.

It is the celebration of the annual bathing ritual of deities

Alpashi Utsavam
in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.

It is the festival of love where young girls and boys try to

Madhya
Bhagoria Haat Festival entice each other and if both like each other, then they put
Pradesh
red powder on their partner’s face.

Maharashtra Gudi Padwa Maharashtrian New Year

Yaoshang Holi of Manipur

It is the harvest festival celebrated by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo

Manipur Chavang Kut
Tribes of Manipur on 1st November of every year.

Sajibu Cheiraoba Manipuri New Year

 It is a dance festival that celebrates harvest and thanksgiving by the Khasi
Nongkrem Dance Festival
Meghalaya tribe.
Wangala festival It is the post-harvest festival of Garo Tribe.
It is the harvest festival and marks three different stages of the agricultural
Mizoram Chapchar Kut
cycle.
It is organized by the government every year to celebrate the rich cultural
Hornbill Festival
Nagaland heritage of Nagaland and to promote inter-tribal harmony.
Moatsu festival It is the harvest festival of the Ao tribe.
It is a very famous festival in Odisha. It is also known as Gundicha Yatra,
Chariot festival, Dasavatara or Navadina Yatra. The festival is dedicated to
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra
Lord Jagannath/Krishna, his sister Subhadra and his elder brother
Balabhadra.
Odisha Nukahai or Nabanna is the harvesting festival held in the months of August
Nukahai Festival
and September.
It is a three days long harvest festival where the first day is called Pahili Raja,
Raja Praba
second day is called Raja Sankanthi and third day is called Basi Raja.

It is celebrated on 13th January every year. It marks the ending of winters, as

Punjab Lohri Sun moves from Winter Soloists to Equinox. Sun God is worshipped during
the festival.
 It is a festival which is celebrated by females and dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati
Gangaur
as the symbol of love and successful marriage.
It is celebrated to mark the onset of monsoon and prosperity in the region. Women
Rajasthan Teej
dress in green attire and wish for the health and well-being of their husbands.
It is celebrated in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan before Holi. Lord Krishna is
Braj Holi
worshiped during the festival.
Saga Dawa It celebrates the rich culture of Sikkim.
Sikkim
Tendo Lho Rum Faat People worship mountains, rivers, lakes, and caves during the festival.
Pongal It marks the last day of a Tamil Year.
It is celebrated by the Tamil and Malayali Hindu community to mark the victory of
Thaipusam
Tamil Nadu good over evil.
Jallikattu It is Indian Bullfighting
Natyanjali Festival It is an annual dance festival devoted to Lord Shiva.
Bonalu It is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Mahakali.
Telangana It is the nine days long floral festival which starts on the first day of Navratri and ends
Batukamma
on Durgashtami.
Tripura Kharchi Pooja It is a Hindu festival where 14 Hindu Gods are worshiped, including the Earth.
It is a mass Hindu pilgrimage where Hindus bathe in the holy river of Ganges. It is
Kumbha Mela
Uttar Pradesh celebrated every 12 years.
Kicheri It is a harvest festival and involves ritual bathing.
It is celebrated for ten days in the month of May-June every year to mark the descent of
Uttrakhand Ganga Dusshera
holy river Ganga from heaven.
It is one of the oldest traditions of the Hindu community in Bengal. They worship
West Bengal Durga Pooja
Goddess Durga during the festival. Women put red powder on each other’s faces.
Summary