Why Kathak Dance?

Chapter -3 WHY KATHAK DANCE? KATHAK'S GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 17 It has been discussed earlier, that there are seven classical dance forms in India, which are ancient, traditional and glorious as well. Nearly all of them have performed the same social functions for society. They have undergone changes according to social changes, 122 and today all of them are trying to survive as well as develop. They are also trying to restore their original purity of form. No doubt that these styles differ from one another in various aspects. The case of Kathak is entirely distinct in many ways. This form of Indian classical dance possesses some different characteristic features than others. And many of the aspects regarding Kathak can be studied sociologically. Ancient works on Hindu Natya originally described a Kathak as a storyteller who chants stanzas from the great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. For the entertainment and the enjoyment of his listeners he adds appropriate explanatory gestures and movements. Later, these simple actions acquired a more definite form and were involved into a significant gesture language and choreographic form. This forms the basis of this dance form. Later it came to be known as Kathak. In course of time it became an elaborate art, rich in both the aspects of dancing Nritta (technical part or the pure dance) and Natya or abhinaya, which includes facial expressions and symbolic gestures to interpret the theme, it also includes bhavas and rasas (emotions and sentiments). Kathak dance has its origin in Uttar Pradesh, mainly in Lucknow, Ayodhya and Nathadwar. It is one of the oldest Indian classical dance forms. We can found literary evidence of the term Kathak even in 123 Mahabharata, Mahabhashya by Patanjali, Bhagyapradipa (lO"" century A. D.), and in Kathasaritasagara (11"' century A.D.). The community of kathakas, the narrators and storytellers formed a distinct part of the social organization. Like other classical dance forms Kathak was also handed down from one generation to the next generation in a hereditary manner as an oral tradition. The group of kathakas narrated the mythological stories mainly. No doubt that this art had roots in religion. In the medieval period, Bhakti movement held its influence all over India. Vaishnavism established the vast spiritual impact in the North, which affected the life of common people also. The fine arts boomed and found a pleasing expression by the 15' and the 16' centuries. Moreover literature, music, dance, painting and other arts flourished with the patronage extended by the temples, priests and devotees. There was a strong and definite connection between arts and temples. It can be seen in the art of kathavachakas who carried on the tradition to this day in the North in the temple area and in the open space. There was definitely a religious content in the art of Kathak, which has been suffered a set back during the period of the foreign invasions and the following Muslim Rule. The Mughal rulers also extended patronage to the fine arts in general and both music and 124 dance in particular. In the Mughal rule there was a definite shift in the content of the dance and the emphasis also changed. However, in the Mughal period the art of Kathak received the necessary movement for its growth. In other words though the art lost its religious importance in this period, the Mughal emperors helped it to develop in different manner. Fusion of different cultures: Numerous foreign invasions of North India gave rise to new ideas and produced a fusion of different cultures. When the religious impact and beliefs started declining, local dance forms also borrowed freely from the foreign art forms. The strongest foreign influence on Kathak was that of Islam. This is the only dance form of India that has a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim culture. In this period, very little of the traditional content of Hindu religion in Kathak survived except for the few traditional parts of abhinaya. These are occasionally presented in dance compositions. The dominance of Muslim culture and their traditions and choices were imposed on the old form. The result was the growth of distinguished but superficial court dance lacking in original vigour and dignity. In the changing socio cultural conditions Kathak lost all its mythological and spiritual significance and became a purely 125 decorative art, considered useful only for the entertainment of viewers. In this manner classical dance lost its dignity and thus it has been driven from the favour of royal patronage. It was nurtured in hiding and performed by the artists who played an important role in keeping this art alive. During the reign of Akbar the Great, the ban was lifted, but it again fall in the darkness in the reign of his successors. However its followers grew and helped it to re-appear. Akbar's friend and adviser Abul Fazal wrote Ain-A Akbari in Persian, which reflects the life and time of Akbar's reign. In it there are references of private sessions of dancing and singing held at night by the nobles and other wealthy people.^^ This situation helped the art to develop but the status of art and artists lowered. Mughal emperors brought with them their traditions of dance from Persia and even dancing girls. During the time of Jahangir, these girls and their descendents and different classes of dancers existed side by side with the class of Native dancers. These were termed as Nautch- Girls and came to be associated with the word Nauch. After Jahangir, Shahjehan ruled over the North. He built Taj Mahal and Lai Quilla. There he built Diwan-a-Am and Diwan-a-Khas, where he held his ^^ Kothari, Sunil. 1989. Kathak - Indian Classical Dance Art. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. P. 3 126 court and where the small place had been reserved for music and dance. It shows the important position of dance in the domain of entertainment of these emperors. Mughal emperors forced to change the content and emphasis of dance and this must have declined the status of art and artists but in the same period this art developed as a Kathak dance form. In the history of Kathak dance the contribution of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Lucknow is particularly significant. Several artists had been patronized in his empire, which uUimately helped the development of this art to a great extent. He himself contributed a lot for the development of Kathak dance. During his rule the Lucknow Gharana came into being and received great impetus. This transition of the art of Kathak from temple to the court made female dancers 'baijis' or 'courtesans'. This transition in Kathak took place during the period of 0 th century A.D. to 19'*^ century A.D. Due to such social changes there were two types of changes in Kathak Dance. Firstly, it had a glorious tradition of temple origin and it was a means of worshiping God in the medieval period. As during Bhakti 127 movement the fine arts found perfectly suitable situation to develop, these arts flourished with the patronage extended by the temples, priests and devotees. People were using it for religious purposes. Resuhantly the artists achieved comparatively a better status in society especially in Northern India. Secondly, during the period of the foreign invasions and Muslim rule, the religious content, of course, suffered a set back. Dance form was much more developed than in the past but the artists lost the status. After the Mughal rule Kathak dance faced a worse eclipse in the British rule. In the British rule the arts were neglected. These two situations were different. The court and the temple gave rise to different aspects of the dance. It was during this period that Kathak came to be known as nautch. The British officers who came to India in the administrative services often used to take the native entertainment; they called these dancers as nautchwalis. The inquiries about the castes of kathakas show us that this was not the monopoly of any one caste. Various castes were involved in it. Some higher caste people including Brahmin and even some tribes were involved in it. They were Gaur Brahmin, Kanujia and Saraswat Brahmins. Even some tribes were involved in this art e. g. Bachal, Bais, Bargujar, Bundel, Chhatri, Dhobi, Surajbansi, Samaria, etc. 128 initially when it had religious importance there was predominance of higher castes in this profession but with the decline of the status of the artists, the lower caste people came into the profession. In the British period the institution of courtesans sustained the art of Kathak though it assumed a different character. It was more aimed at entertaining the patrons and pleasing them. In this process it lost its dignity and came to be associated with the women of ill fame and the prostitutes. In British rule the dance as an art form was hated and looked down upon. It was considered a means of livelihood for the women of low position in society. And therefore it was out of limits for the middle and upper class. It was already degenerated into vulgar art and was in danger of extinction.^"^ However various pioneering efforts that took place in the beginning of 20' century helped classical dance to receive the social position in society. These efforts helped Kathak dance to flourish and regain the position in society. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's remarkable attempts of introducing the education of classical dances at Shantiniketan (Kolkata), starting of Kerala Kala Mandalam (Kerala) and the beginning of Kalakshetra (Adyar) changed the picture. ^^ Ibid. p. 15 129 Growing National spirit and the similar initiation among the intellectuals contributed in saving our precious heritage of classical dances.

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