The Epitome of Grace - Kathak

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There are some questions regarding any discussion of Kathak as a major dance genre, as the style gradually developed over the course of several centuries, imbibing various influences. In relation to this art form, there are several key questions: what is its chronological position in relation to other styles; does it share the Hindu mythology and legend of the other dance forms or did it originate in the Mughal Courts?

However, some change of focus inevitably took place with the emergence of the Mughal empire and with the creation of a state religion that did not believe in dance as a form of worship. As a result, dance figures vanished entirely in sculpture or, at least, in temple sculpture. Nevertheless, in northern India as well as in southern India, the surge of the Bhakti revolution that had swept the world during those centuries inspired dance and music styles. The composition of the devotees dancing before their God is full of references to Mira Bai, Surdas and other Saint-poets.

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One of India's most beautiful dance styles, Kathak, revolves around the notion of storytelling. The word 'Kathak' originates from the word Katha in Sanskrit, which means story. Kathak is a combination of three styles of art: music, dance, and drama. As the natives exchanged their life experiences with each other, Kathak emerged in the villages of Northern India. These individuals or Kathakkars (storytellers) migrated to spread their craft from village to village and kingdom to kingdom. Occasionally, these Kathakkars would stop to rest at the temples in these areas and here they started to execute stories from the great Indian epics and also began to stylize the art by giving it a classic touch. These Kathakkars were inspired by the Pandits in the temples to narrate the tales of the great epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas, and the Vedas. Thus, the Pandits laid the foundations for the evolution of Kathak into a temple dance where it concentrated on mythology, gods and goddesses.

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These Kathakkars also found themselves being integrated into the Mughal courts with the admission of the Mughals, who confiscated the riches from the temples. The emphasis of worship also shifted and the Emperor's appeasement was assigned primary priority. Also reflected in Kathak were the reforms that came with the formation of the Mughal Empire. Manuscripts, poetry, jewellery, costumes and dance styles have all evolved and adapted rapidly. The language of Urdu was introduced in the context of art.

The entrance of the British into the scenario, however, caused the famed Mughal Period dancers to abandon their career as the rulers forbade dance as an art form. As there was no other way to maintain this unwritten and unrecorded art style, in an effort to preserve the legacy of this ancient art form, these artists introduced home tutoring by educating their own family members.

Sources: Kapila Vatsyayan. INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE. Publications Division. Kindle Edition.

NATYASHASTRA by Bharata Muni, translated into english by Manomohan Ghosh