Indian Culture
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Supplementary Notes INDIAN CULTURE What is Culture? Culture refers to a human-made environment which human groups, including their embodiment as artifacts. includes all the material and non- material products The essential core of culture thus lies in those finer of group life that are transmitted from one generation ideas, by means of which people communicate, to the next. These may be transmitted through perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of express their attitudes toward life. Dance • Dance in India has an unbroken tradition of over very important feature of Indian classical dances 2,000 years. Its themes are derived from is the use of the mudra or hand gestures by the mythology, legends and classical literature, two artists as a short-hand sign language to narrate a main divisions being classical and folk. story and to demonstrate certain concepts such • In traditional Indian culture the function of dance as objects, weather, nature and emotion. Many was to give symbolic expression to religious ideas. classical dances include facial expressions as an The figure of Lord Shiva as Nataraja represents integral part of the dance form. the creation and destruction of the cosmic cycle. Classical Dance • Indian classical dance denotes codified art forms These dance forms are based on ancient dance rooted in Natya, the sacred Hindu musical theatre discipline and have rigid rules of presentation. styles. The term "classical" ("Shastriya") was Important among them are BharataNatyam, Kathakali, introduced by SangeetNatakAkademi to denote Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi and Odissi. the NatyaShastra-based performing art styles. A GS SCORE (1) Features • The movements include intricate footwork accented by bells worn around the ankles and • Mudra or hand gestures are used by the artists as stylized gestures adapted from normal body a short-hand sign language to narrate a story and language. to demonstrate certain concepts . • The advent of Islamic rule in the 13th century • Many classical dances include facial expressions greatly influenced the Indian culture, having a as an integral part of the dance form. direct impact on Kathak.(It was introduced as a • Nartanam:Dances performed inside the sanctum form of entertainment in the courts and of the temple according to the rituals developed its own distinct and individualistic style).Lucknow, Banaras and Jaipur are recognized • Carnatakam Dances performed in royal courts as the three schools. Classical dance forms are discussed below: • Instruments use in Kathak are Pakwaj, Tabla, 1. BharataNatyam (Tamil Nadu) Harmonium, Sarengi and Talam (cymbals). • The AbhinayaDarpana by Nandikesvara is one 4. Manipuri (Manipur) of the main sources of textual material, for the • The most striking part of Manipur dance is its study of the technique and grammar of body colorful decoration, lightness of dancing foot, movement in BharatnatyamDance.It traces its delicacy of abhinaya (drama), smooth and origins back to the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on theatre written by the mythic priest graceful movements. Bharata. • The Manipuri dance form is mostly ritualistic • The style was kept alive by the devadasis, who and draws heavily from the rich culture of the were young girls 'gifted' by their parents to the state of Manipur. temples and who were married to the gods. • Among the important feature of the Manipuri • The dance movements are characterized by bent repertoire are the Sankirtana and the Raas Leela, legs, while feet keep rhythm. Hands may be used based on the devotional theme of Krishna and in a series of mudra. Radha. • Instruments use in BharatnatyamareMridangam, • Another vibrant feature of Manipuri is the Violin, Veena, Flute and Talam. PungCholam or Drum dance, in which dancers play on the drum known as Pung . 2. Kathakali (Kerala) • The Lai Haroba, a ritualistic dance depicting the • The word Kathakali literally means "Story-Play". Creation, is considered the precursor of Manipuri • Kathakali is known for its heavy, elaborate as seen today. makeup and costumes. • Instruments used in Manipuri are Pung and • The dancers wear large head dresses, and the cymbals. different colors of the face are extended with 5. Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh) moulded lime. • Kuchipudi exhibits scenes from the Hindu Epics, • Kathakali dance presents themes derived from legends and mythological tales through a the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other Hindu combination of music, dance and acting. epics, mythologies and legends. • Traditionally the dance was performed by men, • Kathakali is traditionally performed by boys and even the female roles, although now it is men, even for female roles predominantly performed by women. • Instruments use in KathakaliareChenda, • Taranagam is the main unique piece of kuchpudi Maddalam, Cymbals and Ela taalam. repertoire, also known as plate (made by brass) 3. Kathak (North India) dance. In that the dancer must dance upon a brass plate, placing the feet upon the raised edges. • Katha, meaning "the art of storytelling." • Instruments used in KuchipudiMridangam, • It is performed by both men and women. Violin, Veena, Flute and Talam. GS SCORE (2) 6. Odissi (Odisha) century ruler who was a great patron of the arts. Under Swati Tirunal, Mohiniattam established • Originating in the Devadasi tradition,It is as a solo dance tradition with musical predominantly a dance for women, with postures compositions set to the Carnatic style of music that replicate those found in temple sculptures. and a distinct repertoire. Later, in the twentieth • Like other Indian classical dance forms, Odissi century, the great poetVallathol established the has two major facets: Kerala Kalamandalam to promote the arts of Mohiniattam and Kathakali. • Nritta , in which ornamental patterns are created • Apart from mythology, Mohiniattam perform on using body movements in space and time the themes from nature. Mohiniattyam was • Abhinaya, or facial expressions are used to female orientated art form only female were interpret a story or theme. supposed to perform but at present male also practicing and performing too. • Tribhangi, (thrice deflected posture) in which the body is bent in three places, the shape of a helix. Folk Dance • Instruments use in OdissiarePakwaj, table, Indian folk dances are practiced in the rural areas and harmonium, flute and cymbals. performed during the religious or seasonal festivals. These dances are also considered to be auspicious by 7. Sattriya (Assam) many of the tribal communities in the country. Many folk dances are dedicated to the presiding deity of • SattriyaNritya was usually performed in the the specific community. The most interesting part of Sattras (Assam monasteries) in a highly ritialistic a folk dance is the attire required for its performance. manner by male dancers alone. Every folk dance has its own specific costume and • The core of SattriyaNritya has usually been jewelry, which differs from dance to dance. They are, mythological stories. in general, very bright and colorful, with traditional jewelries that give a folk touch to the performance. • Dressed in white costumes and turbans, head These dances are not only the exclusive art of a gears, they include khol -patital, boratal- cymbals particular community, but also an asset of India's playing, performing dance, creating soundscapes, cultural heritage. floor patterns and choreographic designs. Some of the most popular folk dances region-wise • Both solo and group numbers enrich its performed across the Indian villages and cities are presentation.The dresses are usually made of pat, given below: a type of silk produced in Assam. S.No. Dance form State 8. Mohiniattam (Kerala) 1. Chhau dance Odisha, Jharkhand and • The dance form of Mohiniattyam was nurtured West Bengal in the region of Kerala in southwestern India. 2. Kalbella Rajasthan • The name Mohiniattyam literally means ' ance 3. Dumhal Jammu and Kashmir of the Enchantress,' and it does have a mesmerizing quality. 4. Hikat&Namagen Himachal Pradesh • The white and gold costume, the hairstyle and 5. Chholiya Uttarakhand the highly graceful movements in medium tempo 6. Bangra Punjab bring out the aesthetic effect. 7. Gaur Madhya Pradesh • Mohiniattyam is characterized by swaying movements of the upper body with legs placed 8. Karma Dance Chattisgarh in a stance similar to the plie position. Theeyes play an important rolein the direction of the 9. Padayani Kerala movement. 10. Kummi and Tamil Nadu • Mohiniattyam is found in some eighteenth Kolattam century texts, but the practical style was revived in the time of Maharaja Swati Tirunal, a 19th 11. Naga Dances Nagaland GS SCORE (3) 12. Bihu Assam 15. Lahoor Haryana 13. Nongkrem Meghalaya 16. DolluKunitha Karnataka 14. Thang-ta &Dhol Manipur 17. Lava Dance Lakshadweep -Cholom 18. Lavani Maharashtra Music • Music in Indian subcontinent is the reflection of • A raga is a melodic scale, consisting of notes the diverse elements - racial, linguistic and from the basic seven known as sa, re, ga, ma pa, cultural. It plays a vital role in the religious, social dha, and ni. and artistic life of the heterogeneous population • Formal compositions (songs or instrumental of the country. compositions in a fixed meter) are juxtaposed • The oldest music, which possessed a grammar with the improvised portion. was the vedic. Of course, the Rig-Veda is said to • There are many musical instruments that are be the oldest: nearly 5000 years old. associated with Hindustani sangeet. The most famous are the tabla and sitar. Other less well • The psalms of the Rig-Veda were called the richas. known instruments are the sarangi, santur, and TheYajur Veda was also a religious chant. the sarod. NatyaShastra of Bharata is another important landmark in the history of Indian music. • Gharanas of Hindustani Music: In Hindustani music, a gharânâ is a system of social organization • Today there are two systems of classical music: linking musicians or dancers by lineage or the Hindustani and the Carnatic. Carnatic music apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular is confined to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil musical style.