Nov 27, 2009
Amritapuri Campus
 

“What is the origin of the word ‘bharata’natyam?”
 

A classical Indian dance form, the word bharatanatyam is familiar to all. Few though, have perhaps pondered about the origin of the word itself.
 

Students at the Amritapuri campus took a moment to think about this last month, as they attended Kalasahityam celebrations organized by the Samskriti student club.
 

The answer was given by a member of the audience. “The dance form is named after Bharata Muni, the author of the Natya Shastra, an ancient treatise on classical dance.”
 

Correct. But there was another, equally correct answer, that also came from the audience. “Bharata comes from bh (bhava) + ra (raga) + ta (tala). Bharatanatyam is a dance form that is a perfect blend of bhava, raga and tala.”
 

More questions followed.
 

“What is the dance form of Kerala that is now recognized by the UNESCO?” “Koodiyattam,” came the answer.
 

“Which is the classical state dance of UP?” “Kathak,” someone in the audience replied.
 

“Ragas in music are broadly classified into how many categories? What are they?”
 

“Two, Melakarta Ragas and Janya Ragas.”
 

The question-answer session continued. While being the highlight of the celebrations for many, it was actually meant to be a just a filler in between different music and dance performances.
 

“Our objective was to create an awareness among the students about the various Indian art forms and literature,” stated Balaji R, studying in 3rd year B Tech. “The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”
 

A semi-classical dance performed by B.Tech. (CS) students was followed Shiva Thandavam, a scintillating Bharathanatyam performance. There was also an award-winning Kuchipudi dance performed by a student of the School of Ayurveda.
 

A classical carnatic music concert was followed by a solo violin fusion performance.
 

The program ended with a spirited rendition of the National Anthem by all students.