A journey to explore the rich cultural heritage and brilliant artistic history of India is incomplete without the mention of the traditional Indian classical dance forms. bharatnatyam is one such Indian classical dance form that is a hypnotic synchronisation of rhythmic footwork, intense expressions, and highly animated hand gestures, that leave the audience in a state of trance from the moment the first taal can be heard on stage, even making it resonate in the mind long after the dance performance is over. The history of bharatnatyam is a testament to some remarkable metamorphosis. Starting as an ancient dance form from Tamil Nadu exclusively for female temple dancers, better known as Devdasis to entertain and appease the gods through the enactment of religious stories, bharatnatyam has undergone a massive transformation to evolve into a globally admired Indian classical dance form.
The origin of bharatnatyam can be traced back between 200 BCE and 200 CE, according to the ancient Sanskrit text of performing arts Natya Shastra, composed by Bharatha. The inception of bharatnatyam cannot be traced back by following a definite timeline as some historical references claim its origin to be in the 2nd century CE as per ancient Tamil epic Silappatikaram, while some temple sculptures dating back to 6th and 9th century CE claim bharatnatyam to be an art form belonging to the First Millennium CE.
Initially known as Sadiraattam, bharatnatyam was believed to be an expressive and sacred art form restricted to the devotees and temple dancers known as devadasis who dedicated their lives to the worship of the deities. A lot of archaeological evidence has been found in the form of sculptures and texts that emphasise the glory of the dance form steeped with spiritual fervour and graceful movements echoing with the devotional melodious music. Although the dance form was celebrated as an illustrative way of worship by the devadasis, even patronised by many Hindu kingdoms, a major change swept all across India in the 19th century putting bharatnatyam at a crossroads.
What was previously viewed with reverence as an expression of spirituality and devotion was soon subjected to condemnation and grotesque criticism. With the arrival of the British and the establishment of their colony in India, all the Indian classical dance forms including bharatnatyam were viewed with ridicule, even labelled as an art form presented by nautch girls and profaned as a kind of erotic slavery in the name of religious traditions. The repressive tendencies of the colonial authorities escalated to such an extent that the dancers were constantly maligned and marginalised, and their identity was even put to trial when they were accused of prostitution, resulting in forced isolation of the sacred temple origins of the dance form. The constant offence towards bharatnatyam surpassed all the limits of decency when all the classical dance forms in the Hindu temples were banned by the British Empire in the year 1910, the beginning of which had already started by 1892 anti-dance movements. It was believed that a reformation of the society was needed to purge it from the blemish of the indecent exhibition of arts publicly, which was an idea originating from the colonial mindset, completely unsympathetic to the rich cultural history and traditions of India. Soon enough, the different Anglo-Indian laws started restricting expressions of sexuality, bodies, and sex as well thereby denunciating the once glorious art form as something very dishonourable.
Soon after this abhorrent suppression of creativity, know about bharatnatyam, along with the other Indian classical dance forms was in for another step of evolution. The nationwide bans triggered movements and protests by the people of Tamil Nadu and the classical art enthusiasts who lashed against the act of dehumanising and typecasting the dancers in the name of social reform. These protests and movements gradually escalated to the mission to revive the traditional dance form which was supported by artists like Yamini Krishnamurthy, Rukmini Devi Arundale, and Balasaraswati as well as E Krishna Iyer, who was a lawyer. The campaign to restore Bharatnatyam as the revered art form it once was was further strengthened by the involvement of some ardent supporters from the West, such as American dancer Esther Sherman, who had also trained in Indian classical dances and adopted the name Ragini Devi. The welcoming bells for bharatnatyam’s re-emergence on the national grounds of India had started ringing during the Indian independence movement when the revival of the Devdasis and their dance form was of major focus of cultural resurrection in India. Besides fighting for civil liberty, the Indian freedom struggle also demanded the democratisation and revival of the Indian art form in modern India by liberating it from the colonial censorship of the British. In post-independence India, bharatnatyam was reintroduced officially as the traditional temple dance thereby reviving the glory of the art form.
Having endured the trials and tribulations of censorship and shaming for years bharatnatyam has evolved into a global art form that has transcended its Indian boundaries, spilling itself into the international cultural platforms. With renowned practitioners like Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai, and the pioneer of modern dance in India Uday Shankar taking up the baton to disseminate the ancient Indian classical dance form into the global cultural stage, bharatnatyam was soon being applauded for its captivating beauty and gripping narratives, artistic expressions and techniques all across the world. Today, bharatnatyam is not just an example of the rich cultural history and tradition of India but a part of the global tapestry of innovative art forms that can enchant the global audience with its unmatched elegance and inescapable magic.
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