Odissi: A Journey of the dance form from ancient Hindu temples tointernational platforms.

Along the eastern coast of India, lies the state of Odisha. Situated

between Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, Odisha is known for the

classical dance form Odissi.

Odisha was known in ancient times as “Odra Desh”. In Bharata Muni’s

Natya Shastra, there are mentions of “Odra Nritya”, a reference to the

Odissi dance form; this proves that Odissi is at least 2000 years old!

Abhinaya Chandrika (1764 CE) is a book written on Odissi from which

the basic style and techniques of the art form are drawn.

Carvings of Odissi postures and Mudras are seen in ancient caves and

temples like Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves, Kapileshwar, Mukteshwar,

Lingaraj temples, and the Konark sun temple. The Jagannath temple at

Puri, built in the 12th century, became a centre of art and culture. These

temples are unique as they brought culture into architecture. This shows

the talent our ancient engineers and architects had. They were not merely

educated in science but were also aware of the importance of art and

culture.

Dedication of young girls to the Puri temple, for the service of God was

a common practice in many parts of India. These girls were called

Maharis or Dev Dasis. They performed only for the eyes of the god and

not for the public. Slowly in medieval India, the system evolved and the

Maharis were employed to perform in the Royal courts. They initially

enjoyed a high position in society. But after the British invasion, their

position in the society declined. Many years later, after a lot of struggle

and evolution, the dance form was brought on stage. The efforts of Guru

Kelucharan, Indrani Rehman, Protima Bedi among others brought global

recognition to the Odissi art form.

“Odissi is born out of the sculptures,” says Bijayini Satpathy, a

legendary Odissi dancer.

There are two basic stances in Odissi called Chowk and Tribhangi positions. The Chowk (square position) expresses masculinity while the Tribhangi (the three-bend position) expresses femininity. “Chowka” in Oria means “four”, four lines with arms and four lines with legs are presented. This position is taken from Lord Jagannath. The Tribhangi shows a bend at the neck, at the waist, and at the knee. The whole body is curved into an “S” and every part of the body represents the shape of an “S”.

The female performers drape handloom sarees called Sambalpuri sarees, traditionally from Odisha. They wear silver jewelry with beautiful Tarkashi work. The hair is tied up into a bun and there’s a crest of white flowers around the bun. The male performers tie a dhoti and a belt with explicit makeup.

The Mardala (barrel drum), flute, and sitar are instruments used during Odissi performances.

I’d also like to mention Nrityagram, a village built exclusively for the revival of Indian classical dance, situated 30 km from Bangalore. It was built by Protima Bedi, a well-known Odissi dancer. At Nrityagram, students have a strict curriculum to be involved in Odissi all day long. They surrender themselves to the art form and the Guru, like the Gurukul system.

In Odissi, there is a sense of directional confusion. The performers point in one direction and sway their bodies in the opposite direction. They fall in love with that style and acknowledge its uniqueness to be able to master it. It is these little nuances that make classical art forms stand out.

-Chinmayi Shastry R