A peep into the world of Odissi dance

         Hello guys! So today, I wanted to share with you a little something about the hobby that I have come to love and appreciate. It is dancing. But today, I will not be telling you how it is beneficial or how it is also a skill, rather I will tell you about one form, in particular, Odissi, a dance form that has been in the shadows for too long and has not been given the hype that it deserves. Remember guys, the origin of the dance may not be authentic information, but that is what I have heard from my teacher (guru) and I will brief it for you.

       Odissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India, which originated in Odisha ( a state on the eastern coast of India). Maharis (devadasis) who were considered the wives of Lord Jagganth were the women through whom Odissi developed and were the cause for the dance being alive for centuries. As the Vaishnavas (followers of Vishnu) did not approve of dances by females., a king called Prataprudra Dev renewed this dancing tradition by boys who would dress up as girls and dance. They were taught by the Maharis and danced to the compositions of Vaishnava poets. Nartakis were the dances that took place in the royal court until the British period during which the misuse of Devadasis began and the dance form slowly began to wither. Therefore, Mahari, Gotipua, and Nartaki are considered the three schools of Odissi dance.

    So much for the religious history of Odissi. Now to the archaeological evidence that proved its long existence.

       108 basic dance units of Odissi have been explained in the Natya Shastra written by Bharata Muni, which dates back to about 200 BCE! 

       The first clear picture of Odissi is seen in the Manchapuri cave in Udayagiri which was carved during the time of Emperor Kharavela. This proves Odissi to be one of the oldest classical dances in India. Odissi postures have also been spotted in the carvings of the temples at Bhuvaneshwar, Konark, and Puri. Honestly, there is a long story that I am not completely aware of because of many missing pieces in the history of Odissi, but for now, that's it.

         In Odissi, there are five main categories that the dance is divided into. They are:

 - Manglachara: An ode to all the gods and to invoke their blessings

 -Battu: referred to as pure dance

 -Pallavi: The dances on different ragas like Basant rag, Saveri rag, etc

 -Abhinaya: Drama

 -Moksha : Similar to Tandav

      

          Odissi is a perfect combination of Lasya and Tandav. There is an equilibrium of footsteps and body movements that are very flowy and free like water. There are eye movements (drishtibeda), neck movements (gribabeda), and head movements (shirabeda) that along with the intricate mudras and body movements make the dance whole and beautiful. Odissi is a very expressive dance.

      The costume includes a saree worn in a specific way with usually borders which resemble the carvings on the Sun Temple at Konark. Nowadays, dancers get three separate ready-made pieces that are easier to perform in and use. The hair is put in a bun and is adorned by one of the statement Odissi pieces, a white flower headband, locally known as tahiya. The jewelry includes silver necklaces, arm, and wrist bands along with a very prominent stomach piece called Kamar bandhani and a tiki. The makeup includes highlighting the eyes and lips often accompanied by a fake beauty spot.

I hope this was useful for you. I tried to include all the basic knowledge you need to begin Odissi. My journey with Odissi has been lovely and mesmerizing. Its feminine moves, delicate posture is just spell bounding. You should totally try it once in your life.