Perini Shivathandavam (Perini Śivatāṇḍavam) or Perini Thandavam is an ancient dance form from

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

which has been revived in recent time. It prospered during the

Kakatiya dynasty The Kakatiya dynasty (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kākatīya) was a Andhras, Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan Plateau, Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their ter ...

. Perini is performed in honour of Lord

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

, the Hindu God and it is believed that in ancient times this was performed before the soldiers set to war. Nataraja Ramakrishna revived the art form by studying old manuscripts and sculptures at Ramappa Temple.

The dance

Perini Shivathandavam (Perini Śivatāṇḍavam) or Perini Thandavam is an ancient dance form from Telangana. It is a dance form usually performed by males. It is called 'Dance of Warriors'. Warriors before leaving to the battlefield enact this dance before the idol of

Lord Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer' ...

. The dance form, Perini, reached its pinnacle during the rule of the Kakatiyas who established their dynasty at

Warangal Warangal () is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 811,844 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an . Warangal serv ...

and ruled for almost two centuries. The dance form is mentioned in the Sanskrit text ''Nrttya Ratnavali'' of Jayapa Senani. Based on its complex parts and myths, it is believed that the dance form developed for a long time before it. It is believed that this dance form invokes 'Prerana' (inspiration) and is dedicated to the supreme dancer, Lord

. One can find evidence of this dance in the sculptures near Garbha Gudi (Sanctum Sanctorum) of the Ramappa Temple at Warangal. Poet

Srinatha Srinatha ( – 1441) was a well-known 15th-century Telugu poet who popularised the Prabandha style of composition. Biography Srinatha was born in a Telugu Brahmin family of Bharadwaja gotra in Kalapatam village on Gudur Mandal in Krishna dis ...

mentioned in his

Bhimeswara Puranam ''Bhimeswara Puranam'', also known as ''Bhima Khandam'', is a 15th-century Telugu epic poem ( prabandham) composed by the poet Srinatha. It is a '' sthala purāṇa'', a type of local lore, that focuses on the Bhimeswara deity of Draksharamam a ...

that ''Prerani'' as one of the dances being offered as Ragabhoga to the Lord Bhimeswara of

Draksharama Draksharamam or Daksharamam is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras that are sacred to the Hindu god Shiva and also 12th of Ashtadasha Shakthi Peetams. The temple is located in Draksharamam town of Konaseema district in the Indian state of A ...

. Perini is a vigorous dance done to the resounding beats of drums. Dancers drive themselves to a state of mental abstraction where they feel the power of Shiva in their bodies. While dancing they invoke Shiva to come into him and dance through him. The dance was also performed on special platforms in front of temples. Perini dance form almost disappeared after the decline of the Kakatiya dynasty but Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna brought a renaissance in Perini dance. He revived the art form by studying old manuscripts and sculptures at Ramappa Temple

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Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna
Dances of India Classical dance genres of India Culture of Telangana {{Dance in India

The dance

See also

References

External links