2017-02-04 Sat

Dance and drama are a part of India’s unique heritage. The dust of time may have modified this art but its craftsmanship still exists. One such dance tradition is Kathak whose roots can be traced back to the ancient oral traditions of storytellers called ‘Kathakars’.

Kathak is a ruby among the seven Indian classical dances which prevail in Northern India. It is derived from the expression- ‘Katha-kahe’ meaning the one who tells the story in a dance form with a song. The stories which were told by Mudras and Abhinaya were Harikatha (Stories of Lord Vishnu) in Hindu temples.

It was deeply rooted in the religion, philosophy, and spirituality of land passed by generations through oral tradition. In later period Jaipur, Benaras and Lucknow Gharanas were formed and they were known for their different footwork and acting.

The kathak we know today belongs to the Mughal era and it was performed in the magnificent palaces of Mughal Emperors in the 12th century. The devotional art of temples became the ornaments of the court to entertain the rulers of that time. Kathak illustrated itself by adopting Persian elements that evolved with the aesthetics of the Islamic culture.

Today, many modern masters of this art form can trace their roots to these three Gharanas. One such master is Pandit Birju Maharaj, he was born today and played an important role to uplift the importance of this dance tradition across the Globe.

Post independence Government of India took great effort to revive this classical dance form and India post issued a commemorative stamp in 1975 to celebrate this ruby of Indian classical dance.

To know more about classical dance form Click here