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Rangamandapa or the Natyamaṇḍapa, 'the hall of dance', in the 13th century Sun Temple at Konark in Orissa still reflect the dance form as practised at present. The principal characteristics of both dance forms, Bharatanatyam and Odissi, have in fact been well maintained over the past two thousand years." This steadfastness in style may be due in large measure to the authority of the treatises such as Natya Sastra and Abhinayadarpana which laid down very precise instructions for the conduct of the dance. The foundations of Indian dance movements rest on the descriptions of the karanas in these texts, and illustrations of these in sculpture occur on a number of major temples dating back to at least the 11th century A.D.12
Though Siva as Naṭarāja and Kṛṣṇa, the flute player and the beloved of the gopis, are the two most popular motifs for dance sculptures in the Hindu temple, other gods and goddesses too have been on occasion depicted as dancers. The twelfth century Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebid have some of the most exquisite figures of dancers in all of Asian art. Here Sarasvati, dances with a grace that is her own; goddesses Kāli and Durgā too dance. Even Gaṇeśa dances. In one myth depicted here Vişņu takes the form of the enchantress Mohini, and dances a special dance to destroy the demon Asura Bhasmāsura. According to the legend, this demon had been bestowed with power to destroy anyone upon whom he held his magical hand. He thus caused havoc in the whole world. In order to control him, Mohini lures him into a dance contest, and then suddenly assumes a posture in which she holds her hand over her head. In his wild frenzy, the demon imitates her and thus brings destruction to himself as he places his own hand over his head.
Dance as an expression of joy, spiritual and sensuous alike, and of celebration of life and nature have been themes depicted with same consummate skill in bronzes and paintings as in stone sculptures in temples. Artists in south India in particular excelled in creating bronzes of extraordinary grandeur; between the 9th and
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