Sacred Dance of India

Author(s): Mrinalini Sarabhai
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 43

Barlanga Dance (Bihar)
Naga Dance (Assam) dramatic leaps of jungle tribes, a whole history of man is realised in plastic movement Each new branch of form or melody suggests and recreates for us the constant process and evolution of the human body in all its heroism and struggle for supremacy in the disciplines of everyday life In folkdancing, man can spontaneously exhibit all the eloquence of his body, all the subdued fear that harasses him during his working hours, all the nobleness he desires to achieve, whether in simple agriculture or in the fierceness of war That is why, perhaps, in most folk-dancing, there is an extraordinary element of confidence and joy, man consciously becoming a more stable and natural figure while he loses himself in the simple rhythmic outburst, that is characteristic of the folk-form
The South, for instance, though the home of strict classicism, possesses a fascinating selection of folk-dances The girls dance in groups the Kolattam, often beating rhythm with their hands or with small coloured sticks In Tanjore there is the Acchaponga which is purely devotional In Tiruchirapallı, the story of Shiva and Kamadeva is enacted for about 15 nights with a great deal of singing and dancing Then there is the pot dance called the Kodda Kooto, celebrating Sri Krishna's victory over Banasura
Another variety of the Kolattum is very beautifully executed in the Telugu districts Boys and girls, dressed as Krishna and Radha, take part, two of the best dancers taking their places in the centre The song is a composition on Dasavatharam, describing the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu in Maharashtra also one of the most popular dance-dramas is the Dasavatar, where Sutradhāra introduces the play which begins with an invocation to Ganesha and Saraswati In this play the actors wear masks In the district of Telangana during the Dassera celebrations, which last for nine days, women from all strata of society join in a group dance, singing and worshipping with flowers as they dance This dance is called 'Bath-Kamma'
Anyone who has travelled far into the jungles of the Bastar State in MP near Khamban will never forget the experience In the cold season, during the Dhanurmasam festival, it is a strange and unworldly experience, to see in the depths of the jungle, by the light of the fire, a group of girls dancing the whole night, their arms clasped around each other
The west coast in Malabar is one of the few places in India, where the
THIRTY NINE