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The postures and gestures of the fingers, whether mortal or divine, are closely related to those used in the dance and they often have the same theatrical effect. This is hardly surprising in view of the advice constantly repeated in texts on aesthetics that before artists can be successful they must thoroughly study both dance and drama. This is clearly stated in the following dialogue between Vajra, the interlocutor, and the sage Márkandeya in the Vişnudharmottara:
Vajra: O sinless one, how should I make the forms of gods so that the image made according to the rules may always manifest the Ideity? Märkandeya: He who does not know the canon of painting, citrasütram, can never know the canon of image-making, pratima laksanam.
Vajra then requests Mārkandeya to teach him the art of painting, but the sage replies, that it is very difficult to know the canon of painting without the canon of dance, because "O king, in both the world is to be represented."
For the architect and the sculptor of an Indian temple thus it was imperative to know in detail the intricacies of Indian dance forms; over the centuries, in fact, the columns, ceilings and walls of great temples of India have come to be regarded as precious repositories not only of Indian myths and icons but also of dances. The Indian dances, in turn, particularly, in their classical forms - Bhāratanāțyam, Odissi, Kathak, Kathakali, Manipuri - encom
Sixteen vidyadharas in the rangamandapa in the Lunavasahi temple. They are playing different musical instruments (Closeup of col. picture of page 27).
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