Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

s of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

– an eastern coastal state of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

.Odissi
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2013) Odissi, in its history, was performed predominantly by women, and expressed

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

stories and spirital ideas, particularly of

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

through songs written and composed according to the ''ragas'' & ''talas'' of

Odissi music music () is a genre of classical music in India, originated from the eastern state of Odisha. The traditional ritual music for the service of Lord Jagannatha, Odissi music has a history spanning over two thousand years, authentic ''sangita-shas ...

by ancient poets of the state. Odissi performances have also expressed ideas of other traditions such as those related to Hindu Gods

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and Surya, as well as Hindu Goddesses (

Shaktism Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...

)., Quote: "There are other temples too in Odisha where the ''maharis'' used to dance. Besides the temple of Lord Jagannatha, ''maharis'' were employed in temples dedicated to Shiva and Shakti." The theoretical foundations of Odissi trace to the ancient Sanskrit text '' Natya Shastra'', its existence in antiquity evidenced by the dance poses in the sculptures of Kalingan temples, and archeological sites related to

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(Sanatana Dharma),

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

and

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

., Quote: The art of dance and maasic suffered on account of political instability, the Muslim invasion, the desecration of the temples and the loss of independence, the lack of patronage to both the ''maharis'' and the ''gotipua'' dancers..." It was suppressed under the

British Rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...

. The suppression was protested by the Indians, followed by its revival, reconstruction and expansion since

gained independence from the colonial rule. Odissi is traditionally a dance-drama genre of

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

, where the artist(s) and musicians play out a story, a spiritual message or devotional poem from the Hindu texts, using symbolic costumes, body movement, '' abhinaya'' (expressions) and '' mudras'' (gestures and

sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...

) set out in ancient Sanskrit literature. Classical Odia literature & the Gita Govinda set to traditional

are used for the ''abhinaya''. Odissi is learnt and performed as a composite of basic dance motif called the '' Bhangas'' (symmetric body bends, stance). It involves lower (footwork), mid (torso) and upper (hand and head) as three sources of perfectin
expression
and audience engagement with geometric symmetry and rhythmic musical resonance. An Odissi performance repertoire includes invocation, ''nritta'' (pure dance), ''nritya'' (expressive dance), ''natya'' (dance drama) and ''moksha'' (dance climax connoting freedom of the

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

and spiritual release). Traditional Odissi exists in two major styles, the first perfected by women and focussed on solemn, spiritual temple dance (''maharis''); the second perfected by boys dressed as girls (''gotipuas'') which diversified to include athletic and acrobatic moves, and were performed from festive occasions in temples to general folksy entertainment. Modern Odissi productions by Indian artists have presented a diverse range of experimental ideas, culture fusion, themes and plays. Odissi was the only Indian dance form present in

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's 1991 hit single

Black or White "Black or White" is a single by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it w ...

History

The foundations of Odissi are found in '' Natya Shastra'', the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of performance arts. The basic dance units described in Natyashastra, all 108 of them, are identical to those in Odissi.'' Natya Shastra'' is attributed to the ancient scholar Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The most studied version of the Natya Shastra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance (

), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures – all of which are part of Indian classical dances. Dance and performance arts, states this ancient text, are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures.; Also see chapter 36 The Natya Shastra refers to four ''pravrittis'' (methods of expressive delivery) in vogue – ''Avanti'', ''Dakshinatya'', ''Panchali'' and ''Odra-Magadhi'' ; of these, the ''Odra'' refers to Odisha. More direct historical evidence of dance and music as an ancient performance art are found in archaeological sites such as caves and in temple carvings of

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...

, Konark and

Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as '' ...

. The Manchapuri cave in Udayagiri shows carvings of dance and musicians, and this has been dated to the time of

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

king

Kharavela Kharavela (also transliterated Khārabēḷa) was a monarch of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India, who ruled during the second or first century BCE. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is ...

in the first or second century BCE. The

Hathigumpha inscription The Hathigumpha Inscription is a seventeen line inscription in Prakrit language incised in Brahmi script in a cavern called Hathigumpha in Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. Dated between 2nd-century BCE and 1st-century CE, it ...

s, also dated to the same ruler, mention music and dance :

(he
he king He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
versed in the science of the ''Gandharvas'' (i.e., music), entertains the capital with the exhibition of ''dapa'', dancing, singing and instrumental music and by causing to be held festivities and assemblies (samajas)...
— ''Hathigumpha inscription, Line 5'', ~ 2nd–1st century BCE

The classical music tradition of Odisha, known as

, also has ancient roots. Archeologists have reported the discovery of 20-key, carefully shaped polished basalt lithophone in Sankarjang, the highlands of Odisha, which is dated to about 1000 BCE.

Medieval era

The

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

archaeological sites in Odisha state, particularly the Assia range of hills show inscriptions and carvings of dances that are dated to the 6th to 9th century CE. Important sites include the Ranigumpha in Udaygiri, and various caves and temples at Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Alatgiri sites. The Buddhist icons, for example, are depicted as dancing gods and goddesses, with Heruka, Vajravarahi, and Marichi in Odissi-like postures. Historical evidence, states Alexandra Carter, shows that Odissi ''Maharis'' (Hindu temple dancers) and dance halls architecture (''nata-mandapa'') were in vogue at least by the 9th century CE. According to Kapila Vatsyayan, the ''Kalpasutra'' of Jainism, in its manuscripts discovered in Gujarat, includes classical Indian dance poses – such as the ''Samapada'', the ''Tribhangi'' and the ''Chauka'' of Odissi. This, states Vatsyayan, suggests that Odissi was admired or at least well known in distant parts of India, far from Odisha in the medieval era, to be included in the margins of an important Jain text. However, the Jain manuscripts use the dance poses as decorative art in the margins and cover, but do not describe or discuss the dance. Hindu dance texts such as the ''Abhinaya Chandrika'' and ''Abhinaya Darpana'' provide a detailed description of the movements of the feet, hands, the standing postures, the movement and the dance repertoire. It includes illustrations of the ''karana''s mentioned in ''Natya Shastra''. Similarly, the illustrated Hindu text on temple architecture from Odisha, the ''Shilpa Prakasha'', deals with Odia architecture and sculpture, and includes Odissi postures. Dancing Figures

Actual sculptures that have survived into the modern era and panel

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s in Odia temples, dated to be from the 10th to 14th century, show Odissi dance. This is evidenced in Jagannatha temple in

, as well as other temples of

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

and Vedic deities such as Surya (Sun) in Odisha. There are several sculptures of dancers and musicians in

Konark Sun Temple Konark Sun Temple is a (year 1250) Sun temple at Konark about northeast from Puri city on the coastline in Puri district, Odisha, India.Brahmeswara Temple in

. The composition of the poetic texts by 8th century Shankaracharya and particularly of divine love inspired ''Gitagovinda'' by 12th century Jayadeva influenced the focus and growth of modern Odissi. Odissi was performed in the temples by the dancers called ''Maharis'', who played out these spiritual poems and underlying religious plays, after training and perfecting their art of dance starting from an early age, and who were revered as auspicious to religious services.

Mughal and British period

After 12th-century, Odia temples, monasteries and nearby institutions such as the Puspagiri in eastern Indian subcontinent came under waves of attacks and ransacking by Muslim armies, a turmoil that impacted all arts and eroded the freedoms previously enjoyed by performance artists. The official records of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq's invasion in

(13601361 CE), for example, describe the destruction of the

Jagannath temple The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu - one of the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. Puri is in the state of Odisha, on the eastern coast of India. The present temple was rebuilt f ...

as well as numerous other temples, defacing of dancing statues, and ruining of dance halls. This led to a broad decline in Odissi and other religious arts, but there were some benevolent rulers in this period who supported arts particularly through performances at courts. During the Sultanate and Mughal era of

, the temple dancers were moved to entertain the Sultan's family and courts. They became associated with

concubinage Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubin ...

to the nobility. The Odissi dance likely expanded in the 17th century, states Alexandra Carter, under King Ramachandradeva's patronage. This expansion integrated martial arts (''akhanda'') and athletics into Odissi dance, by engaging boys and youth called ''Gotipuas'', as a means to physically train the young for the military and to resist foreign invasions. According to Ragini Devi, historical evidence suggests that the ''Gotipuas'' tradition was known and nurtured in the 14th century, by Raja of Khordha. During the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

, the officials of the colonial government ridiculed the temple traditions, while Christian missionaries launched a sustained attack on the moral outrage of sensuousness of Odissi and other Hindu temple dance arts. In 1872, a British civil servant named William Hunter watched a performance at the Jagannatha temple in Puri, then wrote, "Indecent ceremonies disgraced the ritual, and dancing girls with rolling eyes put the modest worshipper to the blush...", and then attacked them as idol-worshipping prostitutes who expressed their devotion with "airy gyrations". Christian missionaries launched the "anti-dance movement" in 1892, to ban all such dance forms. The dancers were frequently stigmatized as prostitutes by Europeans during the colonial era. In 1910, the British colonial government in India banned temple dancing, and the dance artists were reduced to abject poverty from the lack of any financial support for performance arts, combined with stereotyping stigma.

Post-independence

The temple dance ban and the cultural discrimination during the colonial rule marshaled a movement by Hindus to question the stereotypes and to revive the regional arts of

, including Odissi. Due to these efforts, the classical Indian dances witnessed a period of renaissance and reconstruction, which gained momentum particularly after Indians gained their freedom from colonialism. Utkal Dibas 2022

Odissi, along with several other major Indian dances gained recognition after efforts by many scholars and performers in the 1950s, particularly by Kavichandra Kalicharan Pattanayak, an Oriya poet, dramatist and researcher. Pattanayak is also credited with naming the dance form as "Odissi".

Repertoire

Sitara Thobani Odissi classical dance mudra India (16)

Odissi, in the classical and medieval period has been, a team dance founded on Hindu texts. This drama-dance involved women (''Maharis'') enacting a spiritual poem or a religious story either in the inner sanctum of a Hindu temple, or in the ''Natamandira'' attached to the temple. The Odissi performing ''Maharis'' combined pure dance with expression, to play out and communicate the underlying text through ''abhinaya'' (gestures). The performance art evolved to include another aspect, wherein teams of boys – dressed as girls – called ''Gotipuas'' expanded the Odissi repertoire, such as by adding acrobatics and athletic moves, and they performed both near the temples and open fairs for general folksy entertainment. In the Indian tradition, many of the accomplished ''gotipuas'' became the

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

s (teachers) in their adulthood. Modern Odissi is a diversified performance art, men have joined the women, and its reconstruction since the 1950s have added new plays and aspects of other Indian dances. Love is a universal theme and one of the paradigmatic values in Indian religions. This theme is expressed through sensuous love poems and metaphors of sexual union in Krishna-related literature, and as longing eros (''Shringara'') in its dance arts such as in Odissi, from the early times. Hinduism, states Judith Hanna, encourages the artist to "strive to suggest, reveal or re-create the infinite, divine self", and art is considered as "the supreme means of realizing the Universal Being". Physical intimacy is not something considered as a reason for shame, rather considered a form of celebration and worship, where the saint is the lover and the lover is the saint. This aspect of Odissi dancing has been subdued in the modern post-colonial reconstructions, states Alexandra Carter, and the emphasis has expanded to "expressions of personal artistic excellence as ritualized spiritual articulations". The traditional Odissi repertoire, like all classical Indian dances, includes ''Nritta'' (pure dance, solo), ''Nritya'' (dance with emotions, solo) and ''Natya'' (dramatic dance, group). These three performance aspects of Odissi are described and illustrated in the foundational Hindu texts, particularly the ''Natya Shastra'', ''Abhinaya Darpana'' and the 16th-century ''Abhinaya Chandrika'' by Maheshwara Mahapatra of Odisha. *The ''Nritta'' performance is abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance. The viewer is presented with pure movement in Nritta, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern. This part of the repertoire has no interpretative aspect, no telling of story. It is a technical performance, and aims to engage the senses (prakriti) of the audience. *The ''Nritya'' is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions. In a ''nritya'', the dance-acting expands to include silent expression of words through the

of gestures and body motion set to musical notes. This part of a repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer. *The ''Natyam'' is a play, typically a team performance, but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A ''Natya'' incorporates the elements of a ''Nritya''. *The ''Mokshya'' is a climatic pure dance of Odissi, aiming to highlight the liberation of soul and serenity in the spiritual. Odissi dance recitals are in Odia and Sanskrit language in the music strictly follows ragas & talas of the

tradition. The talas used in Odissi dance are ''Ekatali, Khemata, Rupaka, Tripata, Jhampa, Jati Tala, Adatali, Matha, Aditala, Sarimana, Kuduka'' and others.

Sequence

Traditional Odissi repertoire sequence starts with an invocation called ''Mangalacharana''. A ''

shloka Shloka or śloka ( sa, श्लोक , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927). in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is ...

'' (hymn) in praise of a God or Goddess is sung, such as to Jagannath (an

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...

of Vishnu), the meaning of which is expressed through dance. Mangalacharana is followed by ''Pushpanjali'' (offering of flowers) and ''Bhumi Pranam'' (salutation to mother earth). The invocation also includes ''Trikhandi Pranam'' or the three-fold salutation – to the Devas (gods), to the Gurus (teachers) and to the Lokas or Rasikas (fellow dancers and audience). The next sequential step in an Odissi performance is ''Batu'', also known as ''Battu Nrutya'' or ''Sthayee Nrutya'' or ''Batuka Bhairava''. It is a fast pace, pure dance (''nritta'') performed in the honor of

. There is no song or recitation accompanying this part of the dance, just rhythmic music. This pure dance sequence in Odissi builds up to a Pallavi which is often slow, graceful & lyrical movements of the eyes, neck, torso & feet & slowly builds in a crescendo to climax in a fast tempo at the end. The ''nritya'' follows next, and consists of ''Abhinaya'', or an expressional dance which is an enactment of a song or poetry. The dancer(s) communicate the story in a sign language, using '' mudras'' (hand gestures), ''

bhava The Sanskrit word bhava (भव) means being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, be, production, origin,Monier Monier-Williams (1899), Sanskrit English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Archiveभव bhava but also habitual or emotional te ...

s'' (enacting mood, emotions), eye and body movement. The dance is fluid, graceful and sensual. Abhinaya in Odissi is performed to verses recited in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

Odia language Odia (, ISO: , ; formerly rendered Oriya ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the official language in Odisha (formerly rendered Orissa), where native speakers make up 82% of the population, and it is also ...

. Most common are Abhinayas on ''Oriya songs'' or ''Sanskrit Ashthapadis'' or ''Sanskrit stutis'' like ''Dasavatar Stotram'' (depicting the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) or '' Ardhanari Stotram'' (half man, half woman form of the divine). Many regionally performed Abhinaya compositions are based on the Radha-Krishna theme. The Astapadis of the Radha-Krishna love poem '' Gita Govinda'' written by Jayadeva are usually performed in Odisha, as part of the dance repertoire. The ''natya'' part, or dance drama, is next in sequence. Usually Hindu mythologies, epics and legendary dramas are chosen as themes. A distinctive part of the Odissi tradition is the inclusion of ''Moksha'' (or ''Mokshya'') finale in the performance sequence. This the concluding item of a recital.

Moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

in Hindu traditions means “spiritual liberation”. This dance movement traditionally attempts to convey a sense of spiritual release and soul liberation, soaring into the realm of pure aesthetics. Movement and pose merge in a fast pace pure dance climax.

Basic moves and mudras

The basic unit of Odissi are called ''bhangas''. These are made up of eight ''belis'', or body positions and movements, combined in many varieties. Motion is ''uthas'' (rising or up), ''baithas'' (sitting or down) or ''sthankas'' (standing). The gaits or movement on the dance floor is called ''chaalis'', with movement tempo linked to emotions according to the classical Sanskrit texts. Thus, for example, ''burhas'' or quick pace suggest excitement, while a slow confused pace suggests dejection. For aesthetics, movement is centered on a core, a point in space or floor, and each dancer has her imaginary square of space, with spins and expression held within it. The foot movement or ''pada bhedas'' too have basic dance units, and Odissi has six of these, in contrast to four found in most classical Indian dances. The three primary dance positions in Odissi are: *''Samabhanga'' – the square position, with weight equally placed on the two legs, spine straight, arms raised up with elbows bent. *''Abhanga'' – the body weight shifts from side to side, due to deep leg bends, while the feet and knees are turned outwards, and one hip extending sideways. *''Tribhanga'' – is an S-shaped three-fold bending of body, with torso deflecting in one direction while the head and hips deflecting in the opposite direction of torso. Further, the hands and legs frame the body into a composite of two squares (rectangle), providing an aesthetic frame of reference. This is described in the ancient Sanskrit texts, and forms of it are found in other Hindu dance arts, but ''tribhanga'' postures developed most in and are distinctive to Odissi, and they are found in historic Hindu temple reliefs. ''Mudras'' or ''Hastas'' are hand gestures which are used to express the meaning of a given act. Like all classical dances of India, the aim of Odissi is in part to convey emotions, mood and inner feelings in the story by appropriate hand and facial gestures. There are 63 ''Hastas'' in modern Odissi dance, and these have the same names or structure as those in the pan-Indian Hindu texts, but most closely matching those in the ''Abhinaya Chandrika''. These are subdivided into three, according to the traditional texts: * Asamyukta Hasta – Single hand Mudras – 28 Prakar (gestures, for instance to communicate a salute, prayer, embrace, energy, bond, swing, carriage, shell, arrow, holding a thing, wheel, and so on.) * Samyukta Hasta – Double hand Mudras – 24 Prakar (gestures, for instance to indicate a flag, flower, type of bird or animal, moon, action like grasping, and so on.) * Nrutya Hasta – “Pure Dance” Mudras The Mudra system is derived from the "Abhinaya Darpana" by Nandikeshavara and the ancient ''Natya Shastra'' of Bharata Muni.

Costumes

The Odissi dancers are colorfully dressed with makeup and jewellery. The saree worn by Odissi dancers are brightly coloured, and usually of local silk (''Pattasari''). It is worn with pleats, or may have a pleat tailor stitched in front, to allow maximum flexibility during the footwork. These sarees have traditional prints of

with regional designs and embellishments, and may be the Sambalpuri saree and Bomkai saree. Gotipua make-up (INDIA)

The jewellery includes silver pieces, a metal favored in regional tradition. The hair is tied up, and typically drawn into an elaborate bun resembling a Hindu temple spire, and decorated with ''seenthi''. The hairstyle may contain a moon shaped crest of white flowers, or a reed crown called ''mukoot'' with peacock feathers (symbolism for Lord

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

). The dancers forehead is marked with '' tikka'', and adorned with various jewelry such as the ''allaka'' (head piece on which the tikka hangs). The eyes are ringed with kajal (black eyeliner). Ear covers called ''kapa'' or ear rings decorate the sides of the head, while necklace adorns the neck. The dancer wears a pair of armlets also called ''bahichudi'' or ''bajuband'', on the upper arm. The wrist is covered with ''kankana'' (bangles). At the waist they wear an elaborate belt which ties down one end of the sari. The ankles are decorated with a leather piece on top of which are bells ('' ghungroo''). The dancer's palms and soles may be painted with red coloured dye called the '' alta''. Modern Odissi male performers wear ''dhoti'' – a broadcloth tied around waist, pleated for movement, and tucked between legs; usually extends to knee or lower. Upper body is bare chested, and a long thin folded translucent sheet wrapping over one shoulder and usually tucked below a wide belt.

Music and instruments

Odissi dance is accompanied by the traditional classical music of the state of Odisha,

. The primary Odissi ragas are ''Kalyana'', ''Nata'', ''Shree Gowda'', ''Baradi'', ''Panchama'', ''Dhanashri'', ''Karnata'', ''Bhairavee'' and ''Shokabaradi''. Odissi dance, states Ragini Devi, is a form of "visualized music", wherein the '' Ragas'' and ''Raginis'', respectively the primary and secondary musical modes, are integrated by the musicians and interpreted through the dancer. Each note is a means, has a purpose and with a mood in classical Indian music, which Odissi accompanies to express sentiments in a song through ''Parija''. This is true whether the performance is formal, or less formal as in ''Nartana'' and ''Natangi'' used during festive occasions and the folksy celebration of life. An Odissi troupe comes with musicians and musical instruments. The orchestra consists of various regional musical instruments, such as the ''

Mardala Mardala () is a classical percussive instrument native to the east Indian state of Odisha, traditionally used as the primary accompaniment in Odissi classical music. The instrument is different from other instruments that might have similar names ...

'' (barrel drum), harmonium, flute, sitar, violin, cymbals held in fingers and others. Odissi group performance

Styles

The Odissi tradition existed in three schools: ''Mahari, Nartaki'', and ''Gotipua'': * ''Maharis'' were Oriya devadasis or temple girls, their name deriving from ''Maha'' (great) and ''Nari'' (girl), or ''Mahri'' (chosen) particularly those at the temple of Jagganath at

. Early Maharis performed ''Nritta'' (pure dance) and Abhinaya (interpretation of poetry) dedicated to various Hindu gods and goddesses, as well as Puranic mythologies and Vedic legends. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's '' Gita Govinda''. This style is more sensuous and closer to the classical Sanskrit texts on dance, music and performance arts. * ''Gotipuas'' were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. This style included martial arts, athletics and acrobatics. Gotipuas danced to these compositions outside the temples and fairgrounds as folksy entertainment. * ''Nartaki'' dance took place in the royal courts, where it was prevalent before the British period.

Schools, training and recognition

Odissi maestros and performers

Kelucharan Mohapatra Kelucharan Mohapatra (8 January 1926 – 7 April 2004) was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is ...

Pankaj Charan Das Guru Pankaj Charan Das (1919-2003) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and the ''Ādi Guru'' of Odissi dance. He is known as the 'Father of Odissi dance'. Life He was the adopted son of a ''mahari'' (temple dancer) Ratna Prabha De ...

, Deba Prasad Das and Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties. Sanjukta Panigrahi was a leading disciple of Kelucharan Mohapatra who popularized Odissi by performing in India and abroad. In the mid-sixties, three other disciples of Kelucharan Mohapatra, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansingh, were known for their performances in India and abroad. Some other notable disciples include, Debi Basu, Jhelum Paranjape and Daksha Mashruwala. Laximipriya Mohapatra performed a piece of Odissi abhinaya in the Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack in 1948, a show upheld as the first classical Odissi dance performance after its contemporary revival. Guru

Mayadhar Raut Guru Mayadhar Raut (born 6 July 1930) is an Indian classical Odissi dancer, choreographer and Guru. Early life and background Raut was born in the village Kantapenhara a Ahir family in Cuttack district, subsequently he received his dance trai ...

played a pivotal role in giving Odissi dance its classical status. He introduced ''Mudra Vinyoga'' in 1955 and ''Sancharibhava'' in the Odissi dance items, and portrayed ''Shringara Rasa'' in '' Gita Govinda Ashthapadis''. His notable compositions include ''Pashyati Dishi Dishi'' and ''Priya Charu Shile'', composed in 1961.

Schools

IIT Bhubaneswar

Odissi has been included in Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar's

BTech A Bachelor of Technology (Latin ''Baccalaureus Technologiae'', commonly abbreviated as B.Tech. or BTech; with honours as B.Tech. (Hons.)) is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after the completion of a three to five-year program of studi ...

syllabus since 2015 as the first Indian national technical institute to introduce any classical dance in syllabus. GWR attempt for largest Odissi Dance

In Guinness World records

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

has acknowledged the feat of the largest congregation of Odissi dancers in a single event. 555 Odissi dancers performed at the event hosted on 23 December 2011, in the Kalinga stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The dancers performed the ''Mangalacharan, Battu, Pallavi, Abhinay'' and ''Mokshya'' dance items from the Odissi repertoire. More than 1000 Odissi dancers performed at the World Cultural Festival 12 March 2016. This is till date the largest congregation of Odissi dancers in a single event.

Odissi Centre at Oxford University

An Odissi dance centre has been opened from January 2016, at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Known as Oxford Odissi Centre, it is an initiative of the Odissi dancer and choreographer

Baisali Mohanty Baisali Mohanty (born 5 August 1994) is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, author, columnist and analyst of foreign and public policy. She is a regular contributor on foreign policy and strategic affairs to several prestigious inter ...

who is also a post-graduate scholar at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Beside holding regular Odissi dance classes at its institution, the Oxford Odissi Centre also conducts Odissi dance workshops at other academic institutions in the United Kingdom.

References

Bibliography

*''Odissi : What, Why and How… Evolution, Revival and Technique'', by Madhumita Raut. Published by B. R. Rhythms, Delhi, 2007. . *''Odissi Yaatra: The Journey of Guru Mayadhar Raut'', by Aadya Kaktikar (ed. Madhumita Raut). Published by B. R. Rhythms, Delhi, 2010. . *''Odissi Dance'', by Dhirendranath Patnaik. Published by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1971. *''Odissi – The Dance Divine'', by Ranjana Gauhar and Dushyant Parasher. Published by Niyogi Books, 2007. . *''Odissi, Indian Classical Dance Art: Odisi Nritya'', by

Sunil Kothari Sunil Kothari (20 December 1933 – 27 December 2020) was a noted Indian dance historian, scholar and critic. He was also former Uday Shankar Professor at Ravindra Bharti University, Kolkata. Career He completed M. A. in 1964 and PhD in 197 ...

, Avinash Pasricha. Marg Publications, 1990. . *''Perspectives on Odissi Theatre'', by Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi. Published by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1998. *''Abhinaya-chandrika and Odissi dance'', by Maheshwar Mahapatra, Alekha Chandra Sarangi, Sushama Kulshreshthaa, Maya Das. Published by Eastern Book Linkers, 2001. . *''Rethinking Odissi'', by Dinanath Pathy. Published by Harman Pub. House, 2007. . * * * * * * * * * * *
Table of Contents
* * * *

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

-based Department of Culture information website. {{Hindudharma Arts of Odisha Odia culture Jayadeva Classical dance genres of India Hindu temple dance Odissi exponents Odissi music Artforms based on Odissi music