A R G -~PATHWAY~

cA qrza'i/a% i lte "I the cArt"

SEPTEMBER 1959 NUMBER 4.

4. Nautch Girls-by Baijnath.

5. Raigarh Raja's contribution to Kathak-by "Rasdhari".

1II. MUSIC, THEME AND COSTUME:

SURVEY:

Badcground of Kathale-by D. G. Vyas.

Technical terms pertaining to Danct' in general and used in Ltha"-hy Nirmala Joshi.

'I\e schools ~f ~thale: .. Lucknow Gharana-by

Mohan Khokar. L. Jaipur Gharana-by

. K. Saxena.

6. 'Menaka·. Pioneer of Kathak Dance Drama-by Shirin Vajifdar.

II. THE TECHNICQUE OF KATHAK:

1. Nritta-by M. S. Kalyan­purlear.

2. Nritya-by Mohan Kholear .

1. The Role of Rhythm in Kathale_by S. K. Saxena.

2. Raslila-An Operatic Drama -by S. Awasthi.

3. The Kathak costumes in Mughal Times-by C. L. Fabri.

4. Some songs of Binda Din Maharaj-by Nirmala Joshi.

APPENDIX Co Banaras Gharana-by

'Natavara·. 3. Hastas in Kathak,......by Maya

Rao. Biographies

Couer is based on the Mughal Miniature: Kathak Dancers from the collection of Sir Cawasji Jehangir, Bart.

Marg acknowledges with gratitude the aduice giuen in the preparation of this number by Shri Mohan Khokar, Smt. Nirmala Joshi, Shri Lachhu Maharaj, Smt. Sitara Deui, Kumari

Damayanti Joshi, Shri Hazari Lal.

The IIntire layout of this issue has been carried out by D. H. Sahiar.

The sketches are by Shiauax Chauda.

Copyright of text, photos and sketches is reserued by Marg Publications.

Mulk Raj Anand Shahid Suhrawardy Hermann Goetz

Nihar-Ranjan Ray

EoITORS

S. Ramu

S. Seshadri

Jean Chatterji

Karl KhandaIavaIa

MARG

Articles, photographs & drawings sent with a view to publication will be carefully considered, but the editon will not undertake responsibility for loIS or damage. All articles and illustrations should bear the name and address of the sender, and postage should be sent to cover their return.

M. J. P. Mistri George Keyt John Irwin Durga Bajpai

J. P. J. Bilimoria Andrew Boyd

Bishnu Dey John Terry

Harry Pieris PupuI Jayakar Minnette de Silva Otto Koenigsberger

R. von Leyden W. G. Archer

Hilary Waddington

Annual subscription: Inland R... 20.00, U .K. £2, U.S.A. $6.00 ~Postage free). lU. 2/3sh/50c. extra for Regd. Book Post. All cheques to be crossed and payable to MARG PUBLICATIONS. (nP. 25 extra on upcountry cheques) . Single Copy Rs. 5.50.

MAR G PUB LIe A T ION S, 3 4 - 3 8, BAN K ST.. B 0 MBA Y.

IN PRAISE

After the production of two special issues on Bharata Natyam and Kathakalt. Marg presents here the third of its series of special numbers on the classical Dance Art of India. on KA THAK.

Actually. in the beginning was the Dance. the Rhythm of the Universe. which began with creation. But. because the story of creation had to be retold and its variegated. complex and subtle phenomena interpreted through the stories of the goda and goddesses. heroes and heroines. the Dance-word became necessary. Katha is the adumbration of these stories. and Kathak is the person who tells them. This is the ancient Hindu theory. of the origin of the dance style. which came to be known as Kathak.

The Dance-word is more than an academic phrase. It is the ebullience of the soul-body. through the upsurge of all those vital energies, which, by their rhythmic expression of dance, interpret the other mind of humanity in its search for «rar It is the attempt of the dancer, not only to render the inspired message of e Gods, but to embody that inspiration. In essence, it is the aspiration t~ be(ti: God, in the sense in which N jinsky wanted to become God. Only, in spite ? deep religious sense, this great Russian dancer was instinctive in his approach. : am a freak who has feelings and sensitiveness and I can dance like a hunchback. 0 L an artist, who likes all shapes and all beauty" , so Njinsky wrote in his diary. nbJ other hand, Guru Lachhu Maharaj, perhaps the foremost exponent of pure ~at th Dance today, puts the same thing to us, and fuses the instinctive approach Ith eak conscious approach when he says: "I raise my hands in That and I dance. sp of Krishna or Radha and I dance, even as I keep seated while I speak." ub ce

Thus the urge for creation is the same in both, the upsurge and exh ~ran of of surplus energies. But, while in the European dancer, it remains seIf-expres~lh are the highest calibre, in the Indian dancer it is the expression of all the souls WhIC tten in torment, or ecstasy, through an accepted symbolic language, about the separa of man from God or Radha from Krishna.

OF KATHAK

In Indian Dance Art. temperament is not enough. It has to be schooled by the intricate processes of a conscious understanding of feelings and emotions and a deliberate invocation of moods in a gesture language where every delicate phrase and its various accents have been thought out far in advance. Njinsky may not have gone mad if he had been a Hindu dancer. He might have understood his conflict and found balance in the rhythms which arise from violences in the individual soul and are yet personal.

The ancient dramaturgy of the Kathak style of dance percolated. through the broken religious traditions of the Vedic period, and the classical renaissance into the medieval Hindu revival. It is not quite certain. whether the pure dance aspects and the expressions (Abhinaya) of moods and feelings, changed much by the time the classical art found its imagery in the medieval Krishna-Radha cults. Certainly, it fell into decay through the ups and downs of feudal history, until it was recognised in its emotive aspects by the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. From then on the musical and dance content of Kathak tended to become secular. This process enriched Kathak with the grace of Islamic choreography and costume. But. in the hands of the lesser nobility, it also became a medium for the more febrile impulses. The poet­king Wajid Ali Shah rescued it and restored it to the famous Lucknow Gharana, whose descendants in Oudh, and elsewhere, have preserved whatever purity there remains in it. The devoted Raja of Raigarh and Madame Menaka gave sustenance to the style, at a time w hen it h ad become Nautch in Northern India. The surviving gurus, honoured by the Sangeet Natak Almdemi of free India, and the many humble unrecognised gurus, h ave begun to re-establish it.

The revitalisation of Kathak will depend on how far its various individual Phractitioners wish merely to filmise its sensational steps, gestures and moods, and on

Ow far they wish to achieve the ecstasy of the ancient Hindu festivals,......,to dance in order to become gods.

Historical

Hallishaka--Bagh Caves

by D. ·G. Vyas

1. The Background of Kathak

While the word Kathaka is mentioned as such in the Sanskrit literary works starting from the Mahabharata. it is named as Kahuga in the Jain works like the "Aupapatika Sootra" and Kalpa Sulra and is used in the same sense. Although Brahmanism. Jainism and Buddhism were prevalent simultaneously and the literary works pertaining to them were written in different languages. certain social and cultural patterns and trends of art and literature were common to all the three religions. The words. therefore. pointed to the same institutions and conditions.

Katha as narration was then a distinct form of composition intended for use hy rhapsodists and reciters. As such it had music and dance. with Ahhinaya. among the features of its technique. Knowledge was, thus, conveyed to the people in a vivid and entertaining manner.

One of the peculiarities of Indian social organisa ­tion is that certain professions become hereditary. and it was so particularly in the fields of music. dance and drama. The Kathakas have been known through centuries as a community of dancers and musicians. It is, therefore. not unlikely that their dance recital came to be styled as Kathak by virtue of its association with this community.

This hrings us to the position of dance in the North. MUSic. as defined in the ancient treatises, is a composite art consisting of singing. playing and dancing. Numerous patterns of 'Desis' (folk music) will seem to have dancing as their integral part. The development of classical music has proceeded on similar lines, carrying dance with it throughout its course.

The Karnataka music is related to the Bharat Natyam and Kathakali schools of dance. The position is slightly different in the North. hecause of the strong tl:'ndency to treat dance in isolation. drawing only incidentally upon music. However. Kathak and Manipuri have to he acknowledged as the schools of dance related to H indusfani music. Among the two. Kathak commands a much larger area for itself. Although Kathak and Manipuri are different in styles. hoth have a common hackground and are rooted in a common soil.

There are numerous references to dancing in different forms in the 'Ramayana'. 'Mahabharala' and other Sanskrit works. A few examples would suffice to illustrate this point. The 'Tandava' of Shiva is descrihed in detail hy Rajanaka Rathakara in his Hara Vijaya Kavya of the early ninth century A.D.

Hallishaka. Charchari and Rasa are counted in the category of Uparoopakas in the works of dramaturgy. Hallishaka is introduced as a dance interlude in the Balacharita of Bhasa. and Charchari in the Ratnavali of Harsha. The performances narrated in the 'Harivamsha' were presumahly dance-dramas. hecause they are stated to have heen danced; and ahove all stands the Rasa of Krishna. vividly portrayed in the Bhagavata Purana.

Hallishaka. Rasa and Charchari or Natyarasaka are classical forms. Their technique was governed hy the fundamentals and principles laid down in the Natyashastra. Dancing presented in the court or temple by a classical dancer was in the classical technique irrespective of his communal or sectarian affiliations.

Now the point which has to be considered is what • type of dance it could have heen which is suggested in the examples quoted above and which is mentioned in other literary sources. Or what were the techniques of dance when it was performed by the Kathakas and other artistes. during the several centuries?

One can guess that such dance was classical in type and the authority by which it was governed was Bharata Natyashastra, ever since this work was compiled as a comprehensive treatise. Bharata Natyashastra has been an authority for the whole of India. and not merely in one or two regions. In other words. it embraces. within its sphere. all the schools of dance which are classical. irrespective of their regional distinctions.

Dancing. introduced as a sequence in the literary compositions of the past, should not he taken merely as a decorative aside. It is indicative of the importance of dance which was in practice during those times. Whether the form of classical dance which has survived in the North represents the classical tradition conti­nuously from the past is not certain. But this tradition was elahorated as a style for a long time. It is rich, varied. and resourceful and has been called Kathak in the various periods.

The fact that dance was prevalent as a practical art for over a thousand years is confirmed hy historical evidence. Jayadeva and his wife Padmavati are stated to have danced in ecstacy while singing Keertanas. Vidyapati-the renowned devotee-composer is also said to have danced madly, Apart from these individual mystics. there were communities among whom dancing was a profession.

Murakiya. Dadhi. Nahva. Bhagatiya. Bhanvaiya

·f 5

(Bhavaya). Kanchani and Kurtaniyas (musicians) are the names of the communities specified in the Ain-l­Akbari. written hy Ahul Fazl in Persian in the reign of Akhar the Great. Although the Kathak community is not mentioned among them. its existence can he estahlished as a historical fact. The part played hy the Kurtaniyas. Dadhi. Natwa. Bhavaya and Rasa­dharis. hesides the Kathaks. in the field of dance will he reviewed in its proper context.

As a community of dancers. the Kath~s seem to have gained greater prominence following the advent of the Mughal rule. In this respect. the notion which is held hy some that there was almost nothing of art. especially music and dance. hefore the advent of the Muslim rulers. is completely untrue and misleading. This was the age when Vaishnavism had already estahlished a vast spiritual empire of its own. and it had upheld the hest tradition of music. dance. poetry. literature and painting. hecause it was fully alive to the values of creative art and had adopted it as a medium for worship and devotion.

Krishna and Radha are the presiding deities of Vaishnavism. The precious art heritage of Vaishnavism was huilt up on the hasis of the Leelas of Krishna. during the Rajasthani-Mughal period. The Krishna Leela. though it was hrought out in high relief hy the Vaishnavism of this later age. had its origin in the remote past. and it can he traced hack to the age of the Mahabharata and of Bhasa.

Vaish"navism gained its enormous popularity. hecause it was interpreted to the people through their own languages and through the medium of music. dance. drama. It is also the religion in which the scenes of the various Krishna Leelas were depicted and Vriya retained at this date its popularity as the centre of Vaishnavism.

During the period of the resurgence of Vaishnavism. communities of artistes like Dadhi. Natwa. Charan. Kalawant. Kurtaniya. Rasadhari. and also Kathaks were residing in Vriya. Some of them have continued. till late. the glorious tradition of music. dance and dance­drama which hear the impression of Vaishnavism. The dance which Rourished under the impetus of Vaishnavism was pure Kathak in its style. technique and forms.

The Kurtanas. which are mostly in the Vrija language. make a resourceful music heritage of the North. huilt up under the auspices of Vaishnavism. From the point of view of music. they form an important part of Hindustani music and furnish a great source for Dhruvapad and Dhamar. They. moreover. throw immense light on the conditions of art. culture and dance during the Rajasthani-Mughal period. The list of composers or Vaggeyakaras. includes among other eminent names: Swami Haridas Maharaj. Surdas, Tansen. Kumhhandar. Govindaswami. Nandudas and Mitaharivansha.

In the Kurtanas. Krishna is named as Natavara and is represented as the divine dancer with Radha as his

6

partner. Krishna is the hero and R dh L

h K . a a. tne t e urtanas. musIc compositions and of all forms . solo. duet and group suggested in them presents hoth of them in their most . t •

. In ense

Dance is the motif of numerous Kurt intended to he danced and interpreted~n~e fea~ures of such compositions is that the Bola Mrldanga and the conventional signs of T I 'T atkar' are included in their lines. a a

As poetic compositions. the Kurtanas times of the composers and cultural cond'ti locality which was Vriya Mandala. The d~;na reRected in them must have he en much old times of the composer. ·Nirtakar·. is the er used in the Kurtanas for the communities of

It is evident from the dance Kurtanas comp~sers w.ere fully conversant with the classical techmque laid down. in the Natya and Sangeet Surdas Madan Mohan. for example. has retll'!lWod

chapters on Swara. Tala and Nritya. while extomal heauty of the hans' performance of Krishna. In Kurtan. he has indicated the order of hands. feet, neck and emotional expression during dance conforms to the principle of the classical tec:lullfcplt.:

As the divine dancer. Krishna is represented perfect artist in terms like 'Vat(lJ1Qtyarcu • •

'~bhinaya-nipuna' and 'Lasyabhedanipura'. Kurtanas have presented him in poses Idee J'ribhangi. 'Natauara' and Girdhari. mentioned some gaits such as gatamayand (eJepI •• ~· Jlans. mrigamaral, udghat and sanel and a distinctive type 'Nalauaragati'. It may he noted III connection that the Kathak dance is well known '-' 'Natauairi.'

The dance Kurtanas have suggested m like urapa and tirapa and a variety of rnanclcda bhramaris. As regards the Angika Ahhinaya they referred to the various poses and movements of the neck and arms. They have mentioned certain expressions such as brijauitas. driguitas, f~ mandalaliasa and bhrikut'iuatas.

In respect of the hand movements. the K have used the words 'Mastaka-Bheda Dikhaue'. Krishna is represented as a perfect dance artiste. 'Mastaka-Bheda' in his case should he talcen in the of Hastahhinayas of the different hands. The of Krishna and Radha. as portrayed in the K was ' a perfect art form and had all the classical the Nritta, Nritya and Natya. and as such It wide scope for interpretation (Ahhinaya),

Certain dance forms are continued as a ..... 11111!"1 in Vriya and other Vaishnavite regions. The R8Ia danced with enthusiasm hy the Rasudharis in the of dedication to Krishna and Radha, The consists of a definite sequence which is strictly There are. in addition, a few circular dances the pattern of Hallishadha.

Charchari, which also means a cltltauda and tala. , a dance-form exclusively intended for the spring. In :he Vriya language, it is known as chauchar, thamar. and is regularly played in the temples and other places b the Brijavasis, during the days of HolL The special ~iC compositions meant for the Vasant festival are

: the difficult dhamar tala, and for this reason they too are known as dhamars.

Besides the Rasa and Vasant festivals . there are Rasa Leelas which are hased on the various Krishna episodes. In form they are Natya. dance drama. and are enacted hy a class of artistes..-the Rasudharis. The Kurtanas..-music compositions for the Rasa Leelas are peculiar to each of them. From the point of view of technique. the Rasa and Rasa Leelas are near classical and not folk art forms .

Among other forms . mention should he made of Dadhi dancing. According to the Ain-I-Akbari, Dadhi was one of the communities of dancers. hut the name and dancing peculiar to it were integrated in the Vaishnavite system of dancing. Today the Dadhi which is danced with Ahhinaya is presented in the temples on the day prescrihed for it.

The Keertana type of music which helongs to the Dhruvapad school is the music of the Vaishnavite dances. It was. originally the music also of the Kathak school which is detached from the temple. It has special varieties like the Rasa. Dharkar. Mori. and accompany­ing dance-compositions. The Keertanas are sung as a part of worship in the temples hy the Keertana mandalis. They are danced and interpreted hy the Rasa mandalis. Both the Keertana and Rasa mandalis are functioning until this day as traditional institutions.

If the dance suggested in the Keertanas is constructed out of the details given in them. it will be the classical dance that is Kathak. And if the Kathak dance is viewed in the light of Vaishnavism. it will seem to he essentially a temple dance with Krishna and Radha as its principal deities. Additional evidences of the classical nature of the Kathak dance and its asso­ciations in Vaishnavism are provided hy their works inthe Rajasthani-Mughal period. The movements. poses and gestures of Krishna and Radha in paintings are likewise suggestions of Kathak.

The Kathak dance is in all the classical forms such as Nritta. Nritya and Natya. The erroneous view held by some that it has no Ahhinaya is refuted hy the wide range of bhaua darshana. l~ the language of Vriya and Kathaka. Ahhinaya is known hy the similar word Bhava.

The footwork in the Kathak dance is often appre­Ciated almost to the exclusion of its other features. The foot movement is implicit in the conception of the art of dance. The varieties of the gait and rhythmic palleries of movement are dependent upon the feet. The Kathak dance has simply emphasised the heauty of footwork Its an unequal part of the classical dance technique. It has not overdone the foot-movement.

The predominance of the tarya type which is one of the distinctions of the classical dance in the North is the result of some special conditions. The process according to which the Lasya or feminine type had spread in the Western influence is explained in the Sangeet Ratnakara.

The Lasya hecame a favourite mode with the dancers. hecause it has a wide scope of interpretation. and. moreover. it was in conformity with the gentleness. tenderness and modesty inherent in the Bhakti cult of Vaishnavism. But the T andava type was not entirely given up. Besides the popularity of the dance of Shiva. the T andava. has heen also assigned to Krishna in appropriate situations.

The age of Vaishnavism marked the eillorescence of music. dance and painting. literature and poetry. This was the golden period of Dhruvapad and Keertan in music. and of Kathak..-the classical dance related to the Hindustani music. But the tendency to view music and dance only in the settings of the court of Muslim rulers. has militated against a correct estimation of the whole area of culture. which includes the environments of the temple. It has further led to detachment of the Kathak dance from its religious hackground and from its original music-Dhruvapad and Keertan school.

Dance and music were also in practice within the folds of Jainism. As already pointed out. 'Kahuga' is the word which is given as synonym of Kathak in the Jain sootras and lexicons. While the Vaishnavite Keertanas have special compositions for the Rasa and Vasant festivals in a dance. the mediaeval Jain literature of Gujerat shows parallel compositions in the Razor and Fagus which were intended to he sung and danced.

Bahuvaiya mentioned in the Ain-I-Akbari is one of the communities of dancers. This refers to Bhavaya of Gujerat. The Jain literature of Gujerat has referred to Bhavaya and Tirgula. This is one and the same community known. at present. as Nayak. and noted for acting. dancing and music as its hereditary professions. They are the communities which are traditionally associated with 'Bharai' folk drama of Gujerat.

The Nayak community is Vaishnavite in helief. but a small part of it. the Bhojak. is Jain. Bhojaks are the people who have served in the Jain temples as PUjaists and musicians. The dancing in Gujerat. occurring as a feature of the Bhavai and. practised within the ritual of Jainism. has heen hasically Kathak in its style and form.

The classical dance. like music. was evolved and elahorated as a system out of the art of the people­the folk art forms. The Kathak dance seems to have grown out of soil which has preserved its roots. If the numerous Desi patterns in the several regions of the North are carefully studied. they will present certain elementary features of the Kathak dance. In style and form. the Kathak dance is different from the other styles and forms. hut it derives. equally with them. its authority from the Natya Shasfra.

•

7 ·f

terms

(~) being the life-blood of connected with this aspect are used

jh.Jthi.~lIIll1\(~ style,

Kal (~

Knya (~)

Anga (af1r)

Laya (~)

8

'me units. Of the Dasa Pranas (~ ~) or ten elements of tal, the expo­nents of Kathak make use of the following terms:

Time

Marking time by beats and other movements of the hands. The beats are called Tali or Zarb. Each tal has a specific number of talis,

Constitutent units of particular varieties of taL

Speed or tempo,

The technique of dance is regu­lated by laya. Each pattern in rhythm is rendered mainly in three tempos like Vilambit (slow); Madhya (medium); Druta (fast) . These are known in the voca­bulary of Kathak dancers as Tha (OTt) (slow); Doon (~) (twice the speed of Tha) Chaugun (~) (four times the speed of Tha). Sometimes Athgun (OJOTf) (eight times the speed of Tha) is also used. Apart from these there are more complicated patterns in laya like Paun (~) (3/4 of the original speed); Sawai (~) Oi of the original speed); Dedhi (~ ) 01 of the original speed). The student's proficiency in technique is marked by his skill in rendering any rhythmic pattern in Anudruta laya (aq~ ~) the fastest

pertaining to

Graha (~)

tempo (or as some aealCl'llbe4. atom speed),

The point where the tal II . attacked' or accordtn, to where the tal 'rests', 'I'Lea. three points: Sum (ft) Atita (aRfRr); (~), When the follows exactly the same as the song and dance the stroke of the drum together with the rh,rtlulllh! of the hands, this is known attack on the beat, Bum if it comes after the heat termed al'ita (aRfRr); and the beat Anagata ( ....... ~ Empty beats or rests are Khali (~), Each tal three elements, viz. Sum ( Tali «(ffift) and Khalt ( Each of these is marked ." movements of the handa. tal is made up of an Avardi (. cycle), a rhythmic arran,emeDt 01 syllables which EOI1lll the scale of the time measure.

The mode of creatinlf varieties of tal by usin, ~

in general and used • In Kathak by Nirmala Joshi

] ali ( ;;mIT )

Laya Iati(~~):

of the constituent units (Matras) ~ (lfro). (a::~~J The exponents render rhythmic patterns in Aadi laya (arm) or cross-time scanning. i.e. changing fractional measurements of the matras of an avardi by cross-time scanning and returning on the sama after completing one or more avardis, i.e. cycles.

For instance. a tukra (~~) (rhythmic pattern) in Trital (~) can be rendered in the laya of Ektal (~) (12 beats) or Dadra (~) (6 beats) without violating the time-scale or tntal played on the accompanying drum. The climax of the tukra and the drum should be noted precisely on the sum.

When a tukra of a particular tal is rendered in the laya of another tal, to the accompaniment of another basic-tal played on the tabla. all three touching the climax on sum together. this difficult pattern in maintaining the rhythm is termed Kuaad.

The species of tals are of five kinds chatusra, tnsra, misra, khanda and sankirna, having 4, 3. 7. 5 and 9 syllables respectively. In other words the number of syllables into which each constituent unit of a tal is divided is termed 'jati'.

Tihai in different jatis rendered with tntal as basic-time measure. The tihai starts from sum and touches climax on sum.

Trisra

Misra

123.123; 123.123; 123.123;

x 123.456 123.456; 123.456x

123.1234; 123.1234; 123.1234

xl234567; 1234567; 1234567x

Bollati (imnmiT):

Yali (lfffi')

Sama (ijlf)

Srofogata«(>I1Jl.ldl) :

Mndang (~)

Pipilika (f1:rq1fuct;r) :

Gopuchha (~) :

Vishama(~)

Prastara (SffiI'R)

12345; 12345; 12345;

xl2345678910; 12345678910; 1234567891 Ox

x 123456789: 123456789; 123456789x

T ntal is composed of 4-beat units-hence it is based on chatusra jati.

Is a variation in the 'boIs' or syllables of tals belonging to the same jati. A tal is classified according to the number of units. For instance. 'Chachar' and 'Rupak' are tals of misra jati­each having 7 units. But they differ in the bois.

Is the arrangement of Zaya. It is the rhythmic arrangement of units of slow and quick speed. This technique is used in parans. The units are called angas.

Some of the Yatis used in Kathak:

In which the angas of beginning, middle and end are maintained in the same Zaya.

In which the angas proceed from vilambit to madhya and then to druta. The composition resembles the Howing course of a river.

In which the angas of the begin­ning and end are in druta. and middle in vilambil.

In which the angas of the begin­ning and end are hi vilambit and of the middle in druta.

In which larger angas are followed by smaller ones.

In which the angas are· not placed in a specific order.

Permutation and combination of constitutent units to make up a single variety of tal. This is termed as 'Zaya ki bant' in Kathalc

9 ·f

(

3. Schools of .Kathak: -

The Lucknow Gharana of Kathak came into existence about the beginning of the 19th century. It was not the outcome of any sustained process of evolution, but it appeared on the scene abruptly. This happened during the time of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Oudh, or, as some are inclined to aver, during the reign of his grandfather, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah. Anyway, even if its genesis can be traced to a relatively earlier period, it is known for certain that the Lucknow Gharana matured . and shaped itself to become a pJausibly individualistic art only during the time of the last Nawab of Oudh.

It is a mere accident of history that this School of dance came to be known as the Lucknow Gharana. Previous to this, there was no tradition of dance in Lucknow, at least not of any stylised mode of this art. Thakur Prasad, a Kathak, migrated to Lucknow about the beginning of the 19th century and became the Court Dancer of Wajid Ali Shah: or, as some contend, Thakur Prasad's father Prakashji, also a Kathak. came to Lucknow during the time of Asaf-ud-Daulah and enlisted himself as a dancer in the Nawab's service and in this way laid the foundation of the Lucknow Gharana. It is not known for certain where Thakur Prasad, or for that matter Prakashji, were before coming to Lucknow: the common presumption is that they belonged to Handia, a village in the district of Allahabad, but it is also held in some quarters that they belonged to Rajasthan and came from the village of Jaiatna in Jodhpur State. The important fact is that the Gharana of Lucknow began with the coming over to that place of either of these masters both of whom apparently were Kathaks of the Rasdhari tradition.

Thakur Prasad had a brother, Durga Prasad, and

10

he also served _(lliif~r: Wajid Ali Shah bec:am.e-J he had so much respect for used to allow him to sit next from being a dancer also a scholar and it dance which was, his house. Thakur Binda Din, Kalka Prasad these, Binda Din and to ..... in Wajid Ali's Court, while not much is known .Laat Bhairon Prasad.

Binda Din and Kalka Prasad were inseparable. ... whatever greatness and beauty the Luclmow GLanaa of Kathak has today is largely due to the contrihulloM made by these two luminaries. Both were dancen aad both were teachers. But Binda Din, being rtEted wIlL poetic leanings. proved himself to be an outatan_ composer, while Kalka Prasad's speciality lay In ... mastery of rhythm. The two brothers pooled their taIaII. worked jointly and created a style of Kathak wldc:la WIll

at once lyrical as well as precise. and Binda Din was a great devotee of Krialma •

is said that he once had a vision in which he I8W ...

Lord who charged him with the duty oE pro ......... the art of dance. He introduced several n~ into the art of dance which was, so to speak. umLer J to him by his father, and he also added a n 01 new items to the repertory. He composed score-tLea. thumris, dadras and bhajans and these have. sin~ become an integral part of the nritya content oE temPle He built his own house at Lucknow and also 918. .­dedicated to Bhaironji. He died childless. in I hat ",., with this the Lucknow School of Kathak lost. w

appropria tely be called, its chief architect. Kalka Prasad, who was an inimitable tabla player and specialised in layakari, died a few years earlie-r, being survived by three sons, Jagannath Maharaj, Baijnath Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj, all of whom were trained in dance by their worthy uncle, Binda Din Maharaj.

Kalka Prasad and Binda Din were both employed as dancers in the Court of Wajid Ali Shah and it is largely due to the great encouragement they received from this Nawab that they were able to devote them­selves wholly to the development . and propagation of this art. Wajid Ali Shah was himself an accomplished dancer and musician and intensively patronised both dance and music. He was a poet in Hindi as well as in Urdu, and he is believed to have been responsible for introducing the thumri, both in dance and music. He lived extravagantly, but his riches were • squandered' mostly on dance and music. He had five wives, and apart from these he maintained over 400 concubines, for housing whom he built the Kaiser Bagh near his palace. Chuttar Manzil, at a cost of Rs. 75 lakhs. His palace always resounded with music and dance, but there was one occasion in the year when a very special performance was arranged. At this time, a setting purporting to represent Indra's Sabha was created and women dressed and made up as fairies and nymphs danced for ten days and ten nights. On the last day, the Nawab himself took part in the performance and, according to the convention instituted by the Nawab, after the performance, all his queens and mistresses had to lavish gifts on him-gifts for the purchasing of which he himself provided the money T A very happy creative life, indeed, was lived by the Nawab. But this did not last long. The British Government wished to absorb his kingdom and intervened early in 1856, annexing Oudh to British India. The Nawab then went to Calcutta. taking with him all his costly jewels. He stayed there till the end of his days in 1887. He was receiving a pension of Rs. 12 lakhs a year from the East India Company. which too he lavished on his twin passions. music and dance.

The tradition of dance which was started by Thakur Prasad, nurtured by Wajid Ali Shah and per­fected by Kalka Prasad and Binda Din, went over to Kalka Prasad's three sons. Of these, Jagannath Maharaj was the eldest: he was also the good brother, the achha one, so to speak, and hence he came to be known as Achhan Maharaj. The second brother. Baijnath Maharaj, was very naUghty as a child; hence he came to be called lucha. but through usage this became lachhu and it is by this name-Lachhu Mah~raj_that he is popularly known. The youngest brother Shambhu Maharaj was apparently more amenable; it is possibly because of this that his own name has stood him in good stead right through his IifeI Actually, it is Achhan Maharaj, who was the true recipient of the knowledge of his predecessors and it is he who passed it on to the other two brothers. Achhan ~aharaj died in 1946, thereby leaving a void which

nobody has really been able to fill. He is survived by his son, Birju Maharaj , who is now the youngest torch-bearer of the Lucknow Gharana.

The Lucknow Gharana of Kathak. we have seen. attained maturity as well as perfection in the Court 01 Wajid Ali Shah. This Nawab was given to pleasures, but its chief exponent, Binda Din was a devout person. Hence the dance form that came into existence at this time, attempted a compromise between the two ideals : ' it became secular in character but it did not divorce itself from the Krishna-Radha theme, or, to put it another way, it continued to present the Krishna-Radha episodes. but with a sensuous flavour.

The Muslim patrons had no patience with mere technical virtuosity, however dazzling it may have been. They wanted to see an art which mirrored life in all its moods, which projected life with all its passions. Hence the Kathak which blossomed under their patronage began to lay greater stress on mood, on bhava. And so, eventually, the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak came to be characterised as a dance which was graceful. decorative, suggestive. expressive and sensuous.

Bhava. then. became the forte of the Lucknow dancers. To present this. they created a number of new items and also improved and augmented some others which were already in the Kathak repertory. They created many new gats and most of these are described in certain Urdu books which were written during the time of Wajid Ali Shah. Then, the thumri was evolved. and this was followed by the dadra and ghazal.

The Lucknow dancers did not, however. simply create new items for presentation in bhava: they also evolved a technique of bhava-presentation. They analysed human emotions. took inspiration and help from the nayak-nayaki bhedas and their treatment in poetry. and evolved a very effective system of expres­sional dance. They regarded the face as the supreme medium of expression and the eyes, in particular. as the mirrors of emotion. In this way. their dance became capable of expressing the subtlest nuances of emotion, and each nuance in any number of ways. This paved the way for the incorporation of sanchari bhava in the nritya part of Kathak and it eventually became one of the predominant features of the Lucknow Gharana.

It is to be noted that. in giving prominence to bhava, the Lucknow Gharana did not completely divorce itself from nrita. T oras and tukras and other nrita items continued to be performed here. but they were not given much importance. Some new bois of nrita were intro­duced at this time and the tabla. as an instrument, replaced the pakhawa; in their hands.

All that has been written of the Lucknow Gharana. it shol;lld be pointed out, is not so true today as it was. say. three decades ago. At present there is no rigid line of demarcation between the two Gharanas of Lucknow and Jaipur. for the technical elements of one Gharana are freely used by the other.

11 ·f

h. Jaipur Gharana by S. K. Saxena

The contribution which the Jaipur gharana has made to the preservation and spread of Kathak dance is very considerable. To this school goes the credit of having given us some of our best Kathaks. The veterans among the lovers of this dance-form fondly recount the names and performances of the great old masters of this' school. namely. Hari Prasad. Hanuman Prasad. Durga Prasad and Shyam Lal. And. in comparatively recent times. who among the lovers of Kathak dance. has not heard of the great Jaya Lal. Narayan Prasad and Sunder Prasad? It would. however. be difficult to maintain that these modem masters have not at all been inDu­enced by the Lucknow school. For instance. Sunder Prasad. though belonging to the Jaipur gharana by birth. has learnt a great deal from the famous Binda Din Maharaj of Lucknow.

Before I pass on to trace the history of the Jaipuf gharana. and to comment upon the art of some of its better known exponents. some general observations appear necessary. This school has prospered essentially under the patronage of Rajasthan states. It is probably lrue that. occasionally in its lesser representatives-the Jaipur style has tended to present Kathak dance as merely the mechanical display of rhythmic wizardry. But. shall we not add in the same breath that it has never allowed this art-form to degenerate into mere effeminacy and sensuousness? Austerity may well appear mere stiffn ess. but it is always the pre-condition of elevating art. M ost of the authentic representatives of this school have been all-rounders. that is to say. accomplished not only in Kathak dance. but in singing. and in tahla and pakhawaj playing.

Yet. taken as a whole. the Jaipur gharana cannot be said to be in a really good state today. though its representatives certainly extend all over the country and can justly claim to have initiated as great a mber of pupils into the subtleties of Kathak dance a t gharana. This is due to many reasons. Lac patronage is one. It is a well-known fa t t:l1b~~~~ the honouring of Pandit Sunder Pras ~d_-'!1i~~~ Akadami Award this year. the Jaipur g'~~H"" received scanty recognition . Even this veteran rep,

12

both Luckow and known how many scholarships for Kathak \ recommended to be COlllt.ll~~ Jaipur school. But. a LWi~~/l..-

progress has been weaknesses. Its seldom get to,etL. academic intent. liquor and drq, ... heavily upon the prosperity of the gharana. ADd the virtuous have suffered from neglect. The wllllllla: ' of Jaya Lal and Narayan Prasad. two of Ind ••• known Kathaks. are finding it exceedingly dII ... 1t exist. I have met them personally. and tallced to They reveal a keen. almost pathetic. colllcioUlDell the tragedy which the dancer's desperate Iwtng in its wake.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The history of the Jaipur gharana is not ..., sketch. One finds here as much of story-teIIIof fact. The description I am giving is baaed apGIl

personal remembrances. and documents in the ,...... sion of Sri Mohan Lal (eldest son of the late Han • • Prasadji of Jaipur). who claims to have corroboration of this account from their bard. Pratapji. aged more than 100 yean. on the of Hanuman Prasadji about 35 years afO: and -account provided by Pandit Sunder Prasad. The of the comments on individual artistes which follow If be taken as an index. not necessarily of the 01 merit of the individual in question. but only availability of data with regard to him. Per ..... other good exponents_I am reminded here of Sd of Raigarh-should also have been cholen for Incll'fldlll!l­treatment, but difficulty was experienced In CO

authentic data with regard to them. fad The earliest name that living memory can f

upon in its attempt to trace the history 0

gharana is that of Bhanuji. a devotee of is said to have learnt Shiva-T anJava from a

passed on the art to his son Maluji. who had two sons. Laluji and Kanhuji. Both. the brothers learnt Shiva­T andava from their father. Later. Kanhuji decided to pick up another dance-form as well. so went over to Brindaban. where he became a devotee of Krishna. and ultimately succeeded in mastering the grace of La.sya style. His two sons. Geedhaji and Shehjaji. specialized respectively in T andava and La.sya styles. One of the five sons of Geedhaji was Dulhaji. The latter made Jaipur his abode. and. as Girdhariji. was later recog­nized as a distinguished exponent of both Shiva­Tandava and La.sya styles.

Girdhariji had two sons. Hari Prasad and Hanuman Prasad. Whereas Hari Prasad had no sons. Hanuman Prasad had thrce.-Mohan Lal. Chiranji Lal and Narayan Prasad. Besides being well-versed in Kathak dance. the seventy-five year old veteran Mohan Lal is recognized for his deep knowledge of the dhrupad­dhamar styles of vocal music. He is at present on the teaching staff of Sri Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwa­vidyalaya• Khairagarh. teaching Kathak dance with distinction. Chiranji Lil is now a Kathak dance teacher at the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. New Delhi. In Kathak circles. he is known essentially for the immacu­late tabla accompaniment he is capable of providing to a Kathak dancer. Along with Sri Mohan Lal. he has in his possession a substantial number of the authentic patterns of the Hari Prasad-Hanuman Prasad gharana. Delhi' s well-known Rani Kama. who first won wide­spread recognition as a pupil of Narayan Prasad. is now learning under him. But. so far as actual dancing goes. Narayan Prasad. who died last year. was the most famous of these three brothers. His eldest ll-year old son-Charan Girdhar-popularly known as Chand. is a very promising Kathak dancer.

Hari Prasad and Hanuman Prasad were in their day a famous pair. Dancing together they would provide a remarkable blend of virility and grace. which earned them the name: 'Deo Paree ka /orha'. Hanuman Prasad was a deeply religious man. About him a strange story is current which. though difficult to verify. is at least illustrative of the spirit in which he used to dance.

13

Eevery year on the festive occasion of Holi ka Phaag, he would dance spiritedly at Govindji ki Dyorhi in the Jaipur State temple, trying to delight the Deity with both dancing and representational renderings of bl1ajans. Once, however, he could not reach the temple in time. The Deity had 'gone to bed', as they say, and the temple door had been closed. But, even with the idol thus cut away from his sight, Hanuman Prasad insisted upon dancing. He began singing his favourite bhajan: 'Men suno, men suno, hei Rama', delineating, at the same time, the significance of the text through various postures. After some yearning rendering of 'men suno', it is said, the temple bells tinkled; and, when the artiste came to the words 'Narsingh roop turat Han dhaaro', himself tearing across his dupatta in a frenzy of emotion, the door of the temple suddenly broke into two.

Sometimes it is wise to allow the breath of a fable to temper the fact. Let the lovers of Kathak dance realize that the readiness with which it can appeal to the human eye is not the best thing about it. Great classical art has an elevating quality. The latter issues from loftiness of conception and dignity of execution. The promoters of Kathak dance today are faced with a challenge. Bharata Natyam, with its movements of remarkable amplitude and sculpturesque poses of delightful symmetry and grandeur, is able to conjure up an atmos­phere of massiveness and dignity as compared to which the average Kathak dancing of today appears frail. In our fold, even the thaat is not presented with the amount of self-possession which it really needs; and, generally, the total aesthetic effect of a Kathak recital is one of neatness, Ruency, sparkle and general appeal rather than that of depth, inclusiveness or encompassing quality and loftiness. The difference is due more to the dancer's own attitude to the art-form in question than to the distinc­tive idiom of the latter.

Hari Prasad and Hanuman Prasad had an array of brilliant artistes as their cousins,-Shyam Lal, Chunni Lal, Durga Prasad and Govardhanji. I have it on the authority of Pandit Sunder Prasad, that all these celebrated Kathaks owed a great deal to one Shankar lalji who is said to have been an old man of seventy, when they were just old enough to receive lessons, and who. as a thumn singer. could make his presence felt even after a full-fledged recital by the great khayaaliyas of old. F ateh Ali_Ali Bux. Shankar Lal had no son. but his daughter's son, Badri Prasad. later distinguished himself as a Kathak. One of the sons of Shyam Lalji is Sheo Prasad •• tOW with the Simla Radio. A brilliant light music composer. he is married to one of the daughters of Narayan Prasadji. Chunni LaI's two sons, Jaya Lal and Sunder Prasad. have both won recognition as two of the country's very best Kathaks . Durga Prasad, younger brother of Chunni Lalji, was a versati le man. excelling not only in Kathak dance. but in singing, harmonium and tabla playing, and even astrology. He had no son. but it was he who coached Jaya lal and Sunder Prasad into the artistes they grew up to be. Durga Prasad's teacher is said to have been his maternal uncle, Natthoo Lalji. Govardhanji's son Khem Raj has distinguished himself as one of the country's famous Mm music directors.

14

SOME INDNIDUAL ARTISTEs

L /AYA LAL

Bo~n at Jaipur. Jaya Lal made ind.ividual c~ntribution to the recognition :nd zation of Jalpur style as a distinctive form oIPOP"'~~ dance. He took his early lessons in KathaIc daace his father. Chunni LaI. who was accompliaLed ba playing, and later learnt at the feet of his uncle Prasad, and also from Binda Din Maharaj of La..L. Thus equipping himself. he visited Bo~ Calcutta. and the States of Raigarh. S~ Bheerwarhaa and Manorpura. presentinll and t:eec .... Kathak dance wherever he went. Besides Leta, • Kathak dancer of note, Jaya Lal Was a taLla pakhawaj player of the highest class. and was LeId awe by recognized exponents of these inab.. ... Introduction of remarkable rhythmic subtlety. intricacy and grace into Kathak dance. tLrou,Ia medium of long parans in particular. has been Ida effective contribution to this art. By experta he deemed as peerless in bollaya and virile danclq ( rasa) and also in parhant, that is. the recitaHon of text of patterns. His most famous pupil hu Jayakumari. though prohably another pupil of Kartik of Raigarh. is no less known. Jaya Lar. Ram GopaI. now in Calcutta. is himself a K.tW dancer of great merit. Among his other pupila ... Sohan Lal of Madras, Radhey Lal and Sheo Datta. Loth in Delhi. and Hira Lal who taught KatLak duce for quite a few years at Sangeet BharaH. New DeO.L Jaya Lal was 70 when he died in Calcutta about litem years ago.

2. NARAYAN PRASAD

One of the hest Kathak dancers in Lu daJ. Nrittyacharya Narayan Prasad died on Septemher 12. 1958, at the young age of 48 years. He was awarded the honorific title of 'nrittyacharya hy the AD-Jadla Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mahamandal at BeItaaa III 1957, in recognition of his contrihution to the pro.,.,.. tion of Kathak dance. His more important pupils. 10"

of them working as dance teachers in dillerent ..... of the country. are: Bahu Lal Patni of Jalpur. Kanda Lal, Professor of Dance, Music Collete. BaNda University. and Shankar Jha of Dehra Dun. SLalruntwla Jain. and Pushpa Batra. Better known 01 Lu = pupils at the capital are Rani Kama and Mathur. As a dance teacher at the Gan~ Mahavidyalaya. New Delhi. for twelve yean. un 01 end of his life. Narayan Prasad had the opportunItY J initiating many young students into the subtletfea

Kathak dance. ...... Narayan Prasad's dancing would he aII __ .....

loveahle. The chiselled manner in which he ~ .... every detail. complete lack 01 impatience in w tevtr he did on the stage, and the dignity of Lu ~ instinct with tenderness-all this, hesides accu;:.., lal and anga, made his recitals appear cons

classical. The /aipur gharana of 'Hari Prasad- Hanuman Prasad' . to which he helonged. strove for dignity of appeal and grace. Hari Prasad excelled in bolder work. in aCcuracy. variety, Ruency, expansiveness and suhtlety of rhythmic manipulation. Hanuman Prasad was known essentially for his skill in presenting the gentler hues of dance. Narayan Prasad's style sought to blend the excellences of hoth. His mother was a close relative of the well-known Jaya Lal. So, from his childhood, a rich environment contrihuted to Narayan Prasad's growth as a dancer.

His public performances hegan at the age of eleven. Later, he won recognition as a Kathak dancer at several music gatherings and conferences held at Jaipur, Baroda, Kanpur. Jamhusar. Ajmer and Raigarh. The 'guni jan khana' of the Jaipur State. where he worked as a dance teacher for a numher of years, always gave him the regard he deserved. He had the distinction of dancing also at Raigarh, that unparaIIeIIed seat of tahla, pakhawaj and Kathak dance experts, accom­panied hy his nephew Kundan Lal. His dancing was not confined to trital. In fact, such difficult timing­measures could he deftly managed hy him as Laxmi 101. Braftma tal and Dhamar. The veteran pakhawaj player of Rampur. Ayodhya Prasad, who sometimes prOVided accompaniment to Narayan Prasad, fondly recounts the latter's skill in layakari to this day.

Some other important features of Narayan Prasad's performing ahility were: such chakkardar patterns in Ektal as allow no respite between 'their sub-sections. commonly called bedam; parans which, hy just varying their manner of movement, can he danced in different tals without losing any of their bols or textual syllahles; three such successive countings of eight. that the first one is danced in vilambit. the second in madhya, and the third in drufa, with the last one landing immacu­lately at a sama; and adroit manipulation of laya in terms of patterns of anaagat and ateet variety. A really reposeful rendering of 16 matras-called dheema tntal­would invariably bring out the master's self-possession in dance. And it was always a delight to see him presenting the 'boat gat': the entire audience would feel heing gently rowed along with the dancer. Excellences such as these made his lecture-cum-demonstration per­formances at Baroda University in 1956 remarkahly satisfying.

Narayan Prasad could also sing thumn, bhajan and khayals effectively. A favourite thumri of his own composition was: 'Yeh ansuaa kaahe bhar laayi pyaari Raadhika'. The appeal of the way in which he used to bring out. through varying poses and gestures, the textual significance of the song was irresistihle. In Khayal-singing, Narayan Prasad's tans were admirahle in respect of controlled power. Huency and distinctness ..

c. A Note on Benaras Gharana and its offshoot in Lahore

It is generally believed today that there are only two Gharanas of Kathak-the Lucknow and the Jaipur. But some orthodox exponents are prepared to give recognition to a third Gharana-the Janki Prasad Gharana. This Gharana, it is claimed, is as old as the other two, and it originated in Rajasthan but had its development and maturity in Benaras. For this reason, this Gharana is also sometimes referred to as the Benaras Gharana.

It is held in some quarters that, previous to the Jaipur Gharana, there was another Gharana of Kathak in Rajasthan, which was known, after its founder, as the Shyamal Das Gharana. This Shyamal Das Gharana later bifurcated and gave rise to two Gharanas, the Jaipur and the Janki Prasad. The Jaipur Gharana developed in Rajasthan while the Janki Prasad Gharana went over to Benaras.

Janki Prasad had three chief disciples, Chuni Lal, Dularam and Ganeshi Lal. Chuni Lal stayed in Rajasthan but the other two, who were Janki Prasad's brothers, went to Benaras. Dularam had three sons, Bihari Lal, Puran Lal and Hira La!. Bihari Lal toured several parts of North India and gave . . numerous dance performances. He later settled down in Indore, ' Where he was employed as the Court dancer. He had three SOns, Kishan Lal, who worked as a dance teacher in Bombay and died there, and Mohan Lal and Sohan Lal, both of whom are now teaching dance at Dehra Dun. Puran Lal was also for a long time in Bombay and he is survived by two sons, Madan Lal and Ram Lal, both of whom are now teaching ~athak in Patiala. Hira Lal, the third son of Dularam, served In the States of Bikaner and Indore, and he spent his last days at the latter place. .

Ganeshi Lal, the second brother of Janki Prasad, had three sons, none of whom is now living. These sons were Hanuman Prasad, Shiv Lal and Gopal Das. Hanuman Prasad worked as the Court dancer in several States, including Jammu, Patiala, Bikaner and Nepal. He also worked for some time as a dance teacher at the Sangeet Bharati, Delhi. He oied in 1952, at the age of 80, in Delhi. Hanuman Prasad is survived by three SOns, Naval Kishore, Bansi Dhar and Onkar Prasad, all of

whom are now at Delhi and doing dance tuitions. Shiv Lal, the second son of Ganeshi Lal, was more of a tabla player than a dancer and he spent most of his time with his elder brother, Hanuman Prasad. Shiv Lal has left three sons, Sukhdev and Durga Prasad who are in Rajasthan and who are not following the dance profession, and Kundan Lal who is at Delhi giving dance tuitions.

Ganeshi Lal's third son, Gopal Das, spent most of his time in Lahore. He was popularly known as Pindit Gopal and he also worked for some time as a Court dancer in the State of Patiala. He spent his last days ' in ' Lahore', where he died about 25 years ago. He is survived by a son, Krishan Kumar, who is now a disciple of Shambhu Maharaj . . Pandit Gopal played an important part in the development and spread of Kathak in Lahore and the rest of Punjab, and he made numerous disciples who earned a good name for themselves as well as for him. Bhurey Khan, who is also known as Ashiq Husain, is a disciple of Pandit Gopal and he, in turn, has a number of disciples who are well known, including Hazari Lal, who is now teaching at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, and Tara Chaudri, who is presently running a school of dance in Ceylon.

Today, the principal exponents of the Janki Prasad Gharana all of whom are hereditary masters, are: Krishan Kumar, ~on of Pandit Gopal, Naval Kishore, Bansi Dhar and Onkar Prasad, sons of Ganeshi Lal, Kundan Lal, son of Shiv Lal, and Sohan Lal and Mohan L~, sons of Bihari Lal.

The distinguishing feature of the Janki Prasad Gharana i~ that in nrita, only dance bols,- or syllables, are used, and bois of the tabla and pakhawaj are never employed. These mark a distinct variation from the Jaipur and Lucknow Gharanas where the nrita is composed mostly of t(lbla and pakhawaj bois. Then the Janki Prasad Gharana does not give importance to speed but believes in executing steps .and movements in . slow or moderate tempo and with grace and precision. There are also some differences in the anga and in the movements and postures which are used in the Janki Prasad Gharana, relative to those employed in the othe.r two ·'Schools.

'Natavara'

15

GENEALOGY OF KATHAK DANCERS OF J AIPUR GHARA

The historical veracity of names, dates and relation­ships, much less their standing as artists, is open to question, further study and research. The skeleton genealogical tables are to be supplemented with larger truths of cultural history to make them really useful. During this study one is faced with several improba­bilities and seeming contradictions. It would, therefore, be advisable to avoid putting implicit reliance or jumping to hasty conclusions based on these tables.

These are useful. however, when other evidence is available to corroborate and offer scope for possible revision by comparing the evidences.

Though, no one can vouch for the authenticity of the genealogical order presented here, certain general facts can safely be adduced from the available evidence. For instance, all the persons mentioned in these tables are said to have been dancers themselves. The traceable ancestry of the families does not go beyond 150 years. The earliest name in the tables is barely that old. It may also be observed that, if the nomenclature '/aipur

gharana', which has definite geographical oonno is to be accepted, the families must have lived In or the state of Jaipur. This is, however, not correct. AI families commonly grouped as '/aipur oluaran.' been the natives of western part of Rajaathan. I.e. state of Bikaner. Their long association wltla tIae of Jaipur and the economic pressures reaultIna III migration to Jaipur state must have been 1'eapcMn .....

for such nomenclature. It is equally intereatlllf tv that the -families of 'Kathak gharana' claim to to a single, clan, viz. KathaL:. a sub-cute Brahmins. In the opinion of many, this claim fa to question and further verification.

The tables given here are exclusively in dtrect 01 descent of each family. Another equally cant line of succession can be traced amon, tlte of these families. Any assessment of tlae contrtLall. of these families in preservation and diuem1n .... Kathak art must necessarily take into account tlte .,. .. 11 line of succession of Master-Pupil tradiHon.

Table No. 1

I SHEO NARAYAN

(no issue)

CHUNNI l.AL

I

JAYA l.AL

I RAM GOPAL

16

NAYAK NA THU l.AL

I

Table No.2

DURGA PRASAD

SUNDER PRASAD

HARNARAYAN (no ...... )

GIRDHARI LAL

I

MALU LAL

1 sUKH DEY

Table No.3

SHANKAR LAL

I Daughter

I BADRIPRASAD

Son (narne not known) living at Bombay

HANUMAN PRASAD

I

MOHAN l.AL (no issue)

CHIRANJI l.AL (no issue)

1

Table No. 4

(name not known)

I

NARAYAN PRASAD

I I

2

or

Son (name not known)

living at / aipur

HARI PRASAD

(no issue)

3 (Three minor sons living at Delhi)

Table No.5

(name not' known)

~ ___________ IL-__________________ -' I

PURNA RAM UDARAM BHANROO DAN

----1:- --------\

NARAYAN RAM MUKUN LAL RADHE LAL

I RAMANLAL

HAzkI LAL I

RAM KUMAR SAGAR

--I ANOKHELAL BRU MOHAN

(naJrnl not known)

17

GENEOLOGJC L TABLE OF · THE I CJC\,O\,V GHARANA

ISH\t\1 ARIJI

ARAG UJI r TULARAMJI

KHARAGUJI /--------.--------

PRAKASHJI I HARILALJI DAYAUI

I- I .. ------r-__ _ DURGA PRASADJ' THAKUR PRASADJI

BlNDADIN MAHARAJ / BHAIRA V PRASADJI

KALIKA PRASADJI

- , MANSINGIiJI

JAGANNA TH PRASAD (ACCHAN MAHARAJ)

BAIJNATJ PRASAD (LACCHU MAHARAJ)

'- 1 SHAMBHOO MAHARAJ

1 BRIJMOHAN MAHARAJ

I KRISHNA MOHAN

GENEOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE BA ARAS GHARANA

JANKI PRASAD

DULARAM -I

1 __ - --.- _--. 1 .

GANESHI LAL

BIHARi LAL PURAN LAL HIRA LAL HANUMAN PRASAD SHIV LAL GOPAL DAS

I KRmHAN JUIIA& 1 1-----.

SUKHDEV KUNDAN LAL DURGA PAAIAD

I MADAN LAL /.

RAMLAL

I KISHAN LAL MOHAN LAL I

SOHAN LAL

NA VAL KISHORE BANSI DHAR ONKAR pRASAD

18

4.

Kathak performed as a Nautch Dance (From a lithograph dated 1959, Ram Gopal Collection)

Today. Indian dance is an art which is much respected. which is admired by all and pursued by many. Its greatness and richaess have been recognised and acknowledged not only in the country of its birth but also in other parts of the world. This is indeed remarkable. especially when one recalls that hardly three decades ago this very art was considered unseemly and branded as a pursuit fit only for the vulgar and the depraved. That was the time when very little was generally known of Indian dance. when the world was content to refer to this art in its entirety as 'Nautch' and to its expositors as 'Nautch-girls'.

The word Nautch-wah. or Nautch-girl. simply means a dancing-girl. but this particular connotation gained currency only during the time of the Moghuls . Dancing-girls. needless to say, existed in India from very early times, but the specific class of professional dancers known as Nautch-girls came on the scene only when the curtain rang up on Moghul India.

When the Muslims became the rulers of this country, they brought with them many of their customs and habits. good as well as bad. There is no denying

that some of the Moghul Emperors were great reformers and men of action. but at the same time. it should not be forgotten that. generally. their zest for a hfe of pleasure and enjoyment was equally strong and tameless. They considered entertainment a necessary part of life. Hnd one of their principal diversions was the dance.

Of course, there were dancing-girls in India even before the advent of the Moghuls. but apparently there were not many among them, who were prepared to dance and to entertain the feudal overlords in the manner they wanted. This led to the wholesale importation of professional dancing-girls from Persia. and thus was laid the foundation of an institution which in later years came to represent the be-all of Indian dance. It is recorded that there were four main types of professional dancing-girls who came from Persia, namely. the [..olonis. Domnis, Horckenis and Hentsinis. They brought their own dance when they came to India, but they promptly adapted this to suit the ideals of their new masters , and in doing so they borrowed freely from the main stylised dance form then extant in North India, namely, the Kathalc Thus, gradually, a new form of

19

Kathak began to shape itself-the Kathak of the Nautch­walis; and this. while it made an attempt to retain the basic graces of the Kathak then in vogue. divested itself of much of its spiritual Oavour and. swinging to the other extreme. directed itseU towards sensualism . Eventually. the dance of the Nautch-girls came to be associated with voluptuoumess and lasciviousness. and the dancers came to be categorised as women of easy virtue. And it is this impression of Indian dance and dancers that the European and other travellers who visited India between the 16th and 19th centuries carried with them when they returned to their countries. Little wonder. then. that for over 400 years the world continued to regarrt Indian dance as a n ignoble art. as something which was encouraged purely for its carnal appeal.

As a class. the Nautch-girls were generally well patronised by the feudal rulers. many of whom retained whole sets of them in their service or as inmates of their extensive harems. The standard of decorum being thus set. it did not take long for the nobles and the rich and. later. even for the ordinary people to learn that the Nautch-girls really had something to offer. In this way. by degrees. several castes of dancing-girls came into existence in the different parts of North India and, side by side. they also came to be divided into different classes. each being intended for patrons of a particular social bracket. As time went by. the Nautch-girls progressively realised that their patrons were more interested in the dancers than in the dance ; hence. to make adjustments , they began to use dance not as an art but as an artifice. as it w ere. to help them in their vocation.

If one were to peruse the notes written by the chroniclers and travellers who were in India during the last five or six centuries. one would find ample references to the Nautch-girls as a class. And. invariably. it would b e found that these references put a greater accent on the dubious character of these girls than on anything to do with their dance. Right from the time of the Slave D ynasty to the present century. there are several references, and here. b y way of illustration, are some which have been culled at random:

Writing about Kurra Khan. the second son of Sultan Balban (1266-1286) of the Slave Dynasty, Ferishta records that "he inaugurated a society of which musicians and dancing-girls were members and which used to meet at the Prince's palace." Continuing. F erishta writes that "in the reign of the Bahmani King. Mohamed Shah II (1378-1397). we have a good example of how the vitiated taste of a king can spread its infection so as to affect even those who have made education their profession. The King was much addicted to baser pleasures and his Court became the resort of musicians and dancing-girls from Delhi. Lahore. Persia and Khurasan."

From the period of the Moghul Emperors we have many examples. Abul FazaI. for instance. has much to say about the state of the arts during the time of Akbar (1556-1605). In his Ain-i-Akbari he writes : "The Akhara is an entertainment enjoyed by the rich. The performers nre dancing-girls. A set consists of four

20

dancers. four singers and four instrumentalists (wi. the pakhawaj. owpunk. rabab and junler), and are also two others who stand by with lighted torcLe.. In the same work the author also describes the diI types of professional dancers who existed at that and among these he lists the Nutwah, ~ Bhugleye. Bhunweye, Kanjari and Nut castes o( d.. •

The pattern of life set by the feudal lord. ...,.." ~any ways. emulated by those who followed. "'-F: Instance, about Chatrapati Shahu 0707-177D) • Maratha ruler. it is written that he ordered rood"';"'" dancing-girls to be kept in his zenana. Bajlrao B.IW

. (1720-1740), the second Peshwa ruler, went one ... further: it is recorded that. in the latter part of Lia life. he became so enamoured of a beautiful danclnt-trbl of Muslim extraction. named Mastani. that he com,....., neglected his duties and obligations as a ruler.

In 1810. Francis Buchanan wrote about the ... in the district of Bhagalpur. in Bihar. He Itata ... describes the different types of dancing-girls of the l'eIIoD. and among these he mentions the Mirasi. Bat, Rwn.na. Kheloni. Domni and Nariyal castes of dancen. ,.... incidentally shows that there were several cute. of dancing-girls. even in a single region of the C01Dltry.

It is said that Maharaja Ranjit Singh. the lJoo of the Punjab. was. like some of his predecessors. vert lead of the nau tch. Some idea of this can be had from tLe Journal w hich was kept by the Hon. W. G. 0aL0me. Military Secretary to the Governor-General of india .. that time. At one place this Journal records that "Lot. is rather a celebrated dancing-girl at the Comt 01 Lahore. Ranjit Singh received her with the trIbate from Cashmere about two years ago." Continubl" tLe same Journal records at another place: "In the evenlaf, a detachment of the dancing-girls arrived with maak: and fi reworks. The establishment of this corpa fa ODe

of R anjit Singh's capricious whims. He originally L.d 150 dancing-girls. who were selected from amont the best in Cashmere. Persia and the Punjab. lotus told me that she was the owner of seven good villates whlch she had received at different times from RanJlt SiDth as marh of his favour."

It is evident from the interest taken by the varIoID Courts in the Nautch girls. that they reduced dance.at merely to entertainment. This does not mean that tt.e Kathak style which the Nautch girls practise (eU Into complete decay. Some of these practitioners were hIfIdJ accomplished dancers who devoted their whole ItftI to learning this art. The fact that their patrons had reduced them to a low caste naturally brought a bad name ~ the dance art as practised by them. Besides. the I t'* noblemen and courtiers were more interested ~ bodies than in their art. Indian society dfainl and the whole concept of creativeness fell into ~

Today after three decades of renascent elort OD jail part of enlightened pioneers. Indian Dance ~ ~J,taIe emerging before the still corrupt. ignorant an debt ,.. middle sections of our society. And perhaps the Le people owe to the hapless Nautch gir~s ~II (mK: ..... recognised for preserving the countmUlty 0 ~ style. at a time when the caste-ridden feudalistic may well have consigned it to oblivion.

5. Raigarh Raja's Contrihution to Kathak

by · Ras dh art '

Like any other traditional art in India. Kathak. too. has had its share of patrons and promoters. The number of those who have helped. in various ways. to further this art is not too large. but two names stand out-of Wajid Ali Shah who belonged to the last century. and of the Raja of Raigarh who belonged to the present one. Both were rulers. both were dancers. and both served Kathak with a zeal which made it appear as if that was the only purpose and mission of their lives. Wajid Ali Shah patronised the Lucknow gharana and encouraged the leading exponents of this School. But the Raja of Raigarh patronised both the Lucknow liharana and the Jaipur gharana. as well as their offshoots; and this patronage extended not merely to the principal exponents but to all Kathak dancers of his time. Indeed. whatever differences. whatever rival claims Kathak exponents of the hereditary fold may have today. on one point they are all agreed: that the Raja of Raigarh was. literally. the patron saint of Kathak dance. its greatest benefactor.

Raigarh was a sizable state in the Chhatisgarh region of Madhya Pradesh. and its ruler. with whom we are concerned. was Raja Chakradhar Singh. He had only one passion in life-Kathak dance. but apart from this. he was also interested in the pakhawaj and tabla ; and. to a lesser degree. in musical forms. such as the Dhrupad and the Dhamar. As long as he ruled. Chakradhar Singh sp~nt every day of his life in an atmosphere saturated with dance and music. He engaged the best available vidwans to teach him Kathak end the pakhawaj and tabla. and he invited experts from all over the country to perform at his court.

Chakradhar S ingh had several large rooms and halls in his palace but none of these was set apart for dancing: dance practice and performances used to take place anywhere and everywhere. according to the mood of the Raja. He had his own practice regularly. but. more than this . he enjoyed seeing the performances of others. From time to time. he invited leading exponents to his palace. but there were scores of others who came uninvited_he received everyone of them with grace and respect and saw the performance of each; and if there was anything for him to learn from any of the Visitors. he did not hesitate to do so. Any Kathak dancer or player of the pakhawaj or tabla who visited Raigarh stayed there as a guest of the Raja. and before leaving each was given cash and token gifts according to his merit.

Of the various Kathak dancers. who served at the Court of R aigarh. the foremost were Jai Lal and Achhan Maharaj; and. next in importance. Mohan Prasad and Narayan Prasad. None of them. incidentally. is now living. Jai Lal served at Raigarh for about seven years. He was brought there. as. indeed. was nearly every master. to train the Raja's pupils. Kartik. Kalyan. Phirtu and Beman. The Raja spared neither pains nor money to get what he called his 'prize finds'. Kartik and Kalyan. trained in Kathak: they were ordinary boys belonging to the Raja's menial staff. but when trained, there was hardly a dancer who could compete with them. Kartik and Kalyan are still living. but when the Raja left this world it seems he took away all their initiative and inspiration. It is a pity that these really accomplished dancers have. since the Raja's demise. preferred to recede more and more into their shells.

The Raja was an expert in the pakhawaj and tabla. but his hunger for learning was insatiable. He had outstanding tabla players such as Munir Khan. Azim Khan. Nahan Khan and Qadir Baksh in his service. Once. it seems there was a technical contrQversy and in this Qadir Baksh humbled his colleagues. The Raja ascribed this to Qadir Baksh' s superior knowledge of the pakhawaj. and. convincing himself that a more intimate knowledge of the pakhawaj would some day stand him in good stead. he seriously set about to find a worthy guru for himself. His choice fell upon Swami Ram Das. the leading pakhawaj player of the time. but no attraction seemed to be too great to prompt this veteran to leave his home-town. Ayodhya. The Raja then approached Swami Thakur Das. who had the honorific 'Mridang Arjun'. and became his disciple. The Swami came to Raigarh and stayed there and taught the Raja for fourteen years. To assist him he also called other experts . notably Vasudev from Gaya. Shambhu from Bandha and Makhan from Mathura. each of whom was an expert in a particular anga of pakhawaj technique.

Performances of Kathak dance used to take place practically every day in Raigarh. But the major occa­sions came at the time of certain annual festivals . such as Basant. Holi. Ganesh Chaturthi. Dassera and Diwali. Ganesh Chaturthi. in particular. was celebrated on a very lavish scale. the proceedings lasting for well over a month. At this time. scores of Kathak dancers . many with their musicians and disciples. some with their families as well. came from all over the country

21

22

and assembled at Raigarh. Raigarh played _

everyone who came, and incidentally relieved ibelf 01 thousands of rupees every year. Every day and night there were performances in two diff t __ ~

f h eren --..: one 0 t ese was for the Raja and a select audience here only reputed artistes were allowed to perf'orm. other was for the janata, as it were, and in tbia d... ~ere performances by ordinary artistes. At the ClO

SIon of the festivities, the Raja gave gifts and aw..r. to all who had come to Raigarh and partici ted III festivals . pa

Raja Chakradhar Singh was a dynamo of eneI'ff. He was a staunch Vaishnava, simple in his habib. he normally ate llnd dressed austerely. He had ~ives, but it apparently needed considerable det~ tion on his part to visit any of them, for hia de,. .... nights were mostly spent in the company of dancen aad musicians. He spent lakhs to satisfy his paulOD .. dance and music and, in the bargain, proved himIeI. thorough misfit in matters of statecraft: 10 ......

eventually, the Resident had to intervene and uL: .... to leave the gadi, which was given to his son. A. ... as he ruled, the Raja had a faithful secretary and ad9I. in Bhushanji, who was a scholar. an aesthete and • rasika; the Raja always referred to BhwhanJi .. • -. nial companion' and never tired of sayin, how ......

was obliged to him for the guidance he received e ery step in his life.

Raja Chakradhar Singh died about Meen ,­a o. He died a frustrated man, deprived u he was t means to continue to indulge in the one pudaa th t sustained him as long as he was on the fld

in our time, the greatest patron and devotee J use of Kathal<. He always considered ........ ent and no sacrifice seemed too much to hbn to

a i the knowledge and experience he destred. It said th he often purposely provoked his teachen. well as others who performed before him. and prodcW them to enter into heated discussions-to get tLe .... out of them. He had immense respect for 11,11 KatMil and he himself was a dancer of no mean merit. It said that once Jai Lal and Achhan Maharaj and .... other dancers were having a discussion about fI-: Raja, who was present at the discussion. got up showed over 20 different ways of carrying the Seeing this Achhan Maharaj got up and Lurred Raja and kissed him and said: "You are an .,.", Natwar Krishna." Certainly, he was a devotee Kathal<.

6. Men a k a: Pioneer of Kathak

by Shirin Vajijdar

"It was reserved For M enaka to do for the Indi an Dancing w hat Profesor Bha t·khande did for Indian Singing" .

This tribute to the la te M enaka's ma gnificen t a hievements in, .lI1d services to. the Classica l D a nce Art of India was very significant. because of the occasion on which it was paid. he and her Ballet had just returned to India a fter having 'won for India a nd

la sical D a nce, three Honour Prizes a t the 1936 Interna tional D ance Olympiad. held in Berlin in connec­tion with the Olympic games. The Menaka Ballet had carri ed away more Honour P rizes than a ny other ba ll et of the seventeen na tions w hich took part.

enaka first a ppeared on the dan tage in Bombay in the yeil r 1926. Madame P avlova was present at thi s perFormance. a nd thi s doubtle s encouraged the India n danseuse.

S he was then a lready a hi ghly tra in ed musician . and had devoted years of study to the mas tery of Kathak of the Lucknow chool. H er earlies t teachers were the grea t mas ters . P a ndit S it a ram M isra . M a hara j V a idya­nath M isra and Guru R am Dutt Misra. S he also studied Kathakali under G uru Karunakara M enon and M anipuri under G uru aba Kumar Singha.

Apart From t·he tra ining in solo recitals of Ka thak for the realisa tion of th e form a nd sequence of thi s da nce style, M.enaka inil'ia ted a new kind of choreo­graphy into Kathak. ada pting its techniques for drama ti c purpo e. ' he formed a Corps de Ballet of ta l nted dancer fll1d musician s. And she crea ted evera! ballets. which he took on tour. H er first three

ballets. D eva Vijaya Nritya (a theme from Hindu lythology) . Krishna Leela (adapted from Visnaya

Padavali of Vidyapati) a nd M enaka Lasyam (the story of the temptation of M aharishi Vishwa-

), individua ll y form ed the second half of a n _ ....... , - ing perform a nce, a nd were preceded in the fi r t

sma ll items of divertisements. of thes ballet . in Ka thak I:echnique.

and called for still greater efforts on her part, 'B""'lII{TToeItake a much more ambitious project of a full

(a piece lasting two and a h alf hours) different variations of Bhara ta Natyam.

Ii and Manipuri could be u sed for For thi s purpose he tool< K alidasa's

Malcw ikognimitram. a nd successfull y he took two years to do it. And it w as

a "brillia nt'ly conceived and brilli antly ballet" .

:Vlenaka made ..,.,at-II~

to d ance art. She d beating of the rhy usually danced . and made ski! Ragas were knit together to the dance a nd tra nsition from so that the sentiment of ,-,nhindered. With all that. the encha nting rhythm. Tala. so pa ttern s of Ka thak dance. It music a nd not a t all " ref till rememher the heavenly

her child. S hakuntala . to lay at the before going back to H eaven (in Lasyam) , danced to a poignant and Raga hadava Sampoorna. Bhaira i.

Menaka inAuenced the dance in as pect. Because of her a ri stocratic high socia l standing. she had to face before she could appear on the stage as a rt had. up to tha t time. been caste basis, and these classes had o tracised . Since then. her pioneer and many women from the m followed her lead.

M enaka' s well -tra ined group of a nd musicians. repeatedly vi sited our principa l cities and presented Clas ical Dance in its matchles beauty and puri ty. regardless of cost and effort. She won the esteem of her countTymen. and was awarded a gold medal for services to Classical Dance. by the Bengal Music Association. Addresses were presented to her at Karachi . H yd rabad. La hore. Colombo. etc. Then she visited Burma. M alaya and Indonesia. She then went to Europ in 1936 a nd gave over 750 performances in a ll the capital of the Continent. Bombay City gave her an enthusiasti c recept'ion on her return to India from the D ance Olympiad , Berlin.

When she created her new ballet. Malavikagni­mitram. she toured Jndia again in 1939. But the war cut short h er tour.

H r work cr ated a demand for a C entre. where Class ica l D a nce could be learnt. To meet thi s demand. Menaka took the logical tep of openin g the famous 'Nrityalayam' at Khandala in 1938. It was a residential in st·it-ute. where young aspirants w ere provided with ex ellent opportunities of learning and studying the class ica l d ance techniques extant. under the personal

23

24

1. Scene f Tom AI alavikagnimit ram

2. Scene from Krishna Lila : M enaka and Ram Narayan Misra

supervision of Menaka, who was assisted by hereditary profess~onal teachers. They were also helped to receive the ordmary school education. After Rourishing for lour or five years. war brought this institution to an end.

Among the distinguished colleagues who helped her in designing dresses and decor for the ballet wtft

Karl Khandalawala and Manishi De. Dr. Raghavan. the Sanskrit scholar, advised her on stories for the themes. Ram Narayan Misra was her male ~ partner. Musician Ram Chandra Gangoly, and a treat master of Tabla, Vishnu Shirodkar, were her colleallJel in devising music for the ballets.

Menaka restored to Classical Dance, the "Nautch" (Kathak) which Ananda Coomaraswamy (1917) described as "one of the most beautiful and moving arts". Those who know in what a precarious condition this style was when she took it up, will understand the significance of her efforts to restore it to its pristine beauty and to give it a new and vigorous life.

The world Wdr made touring even in India difficult. and enforced inactivity. and a serious illness carried her away on 27 th April , 1947. She had no children of her own, but she left b ehind many brilliant dancers of her troupe. Krishnan Kutty. Ram Narayan Misra. Bipln Sinha. S hirin V ajifdar. hevanti, Damayanti. Malati and Vimla and others. who had come to her in their youth and whom she had brought up and trained a d ancers.

M enaka (in private liFe Lady Leila Sokhey) was born on 151-h Odober , 1899. in a Kuleen Brahman fa mil y of BarisaI. H er fa l-her hri Pyare Lal Roy wa a bi g la ndlord . he was educa ted at Loreto Convent. Darjeelin g a nd showed grea t promise as a violinist. Sht' was lake n 10 E n gland in 1909, where she was admittt-d to St. Paul' s Gir ls' School. London. There she won the Lupton Schola rship for v iolin for two years in succession. h er graduatin g from the school. sht' appea red on the con ert stage in London. She latt'r marri ed Captain a hib S in gh Sokhey of the Indian M edical erv ice. who later b ecam e Director of tht' HaFfkin e Institute. and was knighted in 1946, and

promoted to Ihe rank of M ajor General.

Ma rg acknowLedges its debt to Major General s.s. Sok-;;;" for suppLying the information in th is article, and photos.

II. The Technique of Kathak:

1. N ritta by M. S. Kalyanpurkar

The concept of Art in India has in a sense h een part ly forma l. necessitated perhaps by the highly intellectual and punctilious type of living of our a ncient people. This is not only true of dance but also of other forms of art. Just a s an Indian icon " is neither a m emory image nor an idealisation but a v isu al symbolism , idea l in the mathematical sense", or instrumental music which presents perfedion of suara combina tion s; so al 0

the nriLLa aspect of dance expresses certa in rhythmic pa tterns interpreted by the feet, hands, and other limbs of the body. In the Abhinaya Dal'pol1.a oritLa is

considered as pure dance:

" Bhauabhinayahinom lu nritLantityab/li,dhiyaLe "

The Dasarupaka explains furth er: " NriLtam Lalalayasrayam"

riUa is thus meant to convey a sense of pure joy of movem ent and rhythm. But inspite of its abstract na ture it is not devoid of ' rasa' as is often misunderstood. A in 'instrumenta l music or alapa in vocal music, rasa lies in the correct u se' of the svaras and their combina­tions, so in nriLLa I-h e bea uty li es in the correct renderi ng of the rhythm ic patterns b y the feet a nd graceful move­ments of the limbs. In su ch pure form of art. an ap precia ti ve a udi ence recreates the pieces in their own m ind and derives pleasure according to the force of individua l experi ences. Every one of the audience enjoys a dance piece in hi s own way; " like a Kamadhenu,

it y ields to the specta tor just what he seeks from it, or i,s ca pable of understanding·'.

kill in nrULa ha a lways b een considered v ita l for the a rt of dance. as, bes ides its inherent beau ty. il s knowledge is fundamenta l for I-he performance of

good abllinaycl ex press ion .

In Kat-hak . the nritta a -pect is predomin ant. The va rious pieces dan ced. bring out the bea uty or rhythm

in all its Forms.

These rhythmic compositions a re ca ll ed ' bolas'.

The 'bolas ' have dillerent features and compositiona l peculiarities. On the basis of thi s they are classified into the following types:

1. Ganesha Vandana

2. Amada 3. Thata 4. Natwari S. Paramelu 6. Paran 7. Kramalaya

8. Kavita 9. Toda

10. Tukada 11. Sangeet 12. Padhant.

1. Ganes 11 Vandana : To offer saluta tion to Lord Ganesha, the dis peller of obstacles and difficulties, a t the commencement of ceremonies is time-honoured tradition. All religious ceremonies b egin w ith the chanting of Sri Ganeshaya namah. Abhinaya Darpana advises the commencement of dance with "Praising Ganapati, the lord of mura;a (drum) and the

sky one should pray to the earth." (Introductory benediction). The Sangeet Sara of Jaipur is more precise. It says : "At the b eginning of the da nce, recite

compositions on Ganeshji a nd dance accordin gly" . G a nesh Vandana is a com position in which words in praise of Lord Ganesha are blended w ith other dance bolas, the whole forming a rhythmic piece. Form erly t1tis was the first piece danced by the Kathak da ncers. It is interesting to see tha t thi s a lmost lost tradition is being revived by the Kathak teachers of today.

G a n gan ganapaU gaja mu kha manga la gita gida gita gida thun thum ta t ta t thei - jaya

jaga vandana va - kra lu - nda da ni dha ta -vigha naha rana, sukha kara, nadha gena dhage dhimi kita dhimi kita thudan - ga thuda n _ ga dadhi gana thei. thuda n - ga thuda n - ga dadhi gana thei thuda n ga thuda n - ga Jadhi gana thei.

2. A mada : Amada is a P ersi.a n word wh ich means advent or coming. This piece is danced in the b eginning of the performance a nd is composed of n characteristic pa ttern of Natvari bolas and hence is classed separately a s amada. The Natv ari bolas u sed

hert' a re:

" ta thei tat thei ta thei ta t thei thei tathei­ta the; thei thei ta t ta t ta".

To ma ke it more impressive perh aps, a convenliona l pakhawa; or paramelu is prefixed to it as foll ows:

dha ta ka thun ga - dha ge di ge La dha din ta ddhe Ua kida dha ta kka t hum ga

tald tata ka - tita ka ta gadi ga na ta th i ta t thei ta thei tat thei thei ta thei - ta thei thei ta t

ta t ta.

ome peo ple a re of o pin ion tha t amada is a piece p layed as a r hythm ic pro logue on the tabla or Lhe

pakhawaj jus t before the commencement of the d Though thi s theory is d eb a table it cannot be' ~C;

Igno.~

3. Thata: 'Thata' in general means decorat. f I d h

Ion ora grace u a ttitu e. T ese attitudes or postures are talcen (thata bandhana) b efore the amada is danced. Thato is u sed in a nother sense a lso as ' thata ka barat • In thi s the da ncer stands with one hand held to th: ~ide .1Od the other high and a loft, and moves his eye s, eye.. brows, n eck. shoulders, arms, chest and wrists to the accompa niment of s low rh ythm played on the tabIa.

4. Natwari : 'Natawara ' is a n epithet of Lord Krishna, which m eans " the b es t among dancers". It fa a b.eli ef that when Natwara subdued the monster-serpent Ka liya a nd da nced on its hoods, the sounds la Ihei and Lat were produced . It is perhaps due to this belief that a ll bolas composed of yllables ta, thei, tal and their derivatives such as digidigi. tram, tigdha, are classed u Natwari b y th e K a thak m asters:

tigdha digidigi dig tho digidigi thei tata _ ta

thei ta thei t igdha thei tigdha digidigi diltLo digidigi thei tram thei tigdha digidigi diltLo digidigi thei tra m thei tigdha digidigi diltLo digidigi thei tram thei.

5. Paramelu : The term 'paramelu' is composed of

the two words ' para' m eaning different and 'me'" meaning union. The Paramelu pieces are composed by cleverly blending the sound syllables of various percus­

sion ins trument su ch as, nagara, pakhawaj, jhan,. rne jeera, tasha, dapha etc. with natwari bolos. The sound sylla bles however b y u se have become conven­tional a nd ome of these are-thari, kuku, jhanaka, r1ivanga, dhilanga, jhangara, jagajaga, thudanga, jftangajhanga etc.

J aga jaga thari thad kuku thari naga thad dhim i kita taka naga tha ri kita thun lIa tha rika tha rika tharika ta naga dhimiki tatalua jagaja gajaga thun. thun-thun-ta-thun-lIa-

takathun -ga- dhimita thunga dhimiki ta tah jagana gathari dhimiki ta l'a ka theita theita thei-theita theil a thei-theita theita thei.

6. Paran : Next w e come to a variety of compo­

ilions played exclusively on the pakhawaj. Thesj are call ed ' parans'. T h ese a re forceful compositions an are da nced w ith v igorous movements :

Kita tah I'h un-thun nati ta ta " dha dinta kiddha dinta ka ti tadha dinta :~ til'a dh adin la kidadhet - dha dinta kati ta

dh

a

dh h · ta a _ thun - I'a dha ka ti ta a - t un -

ka ti tudha - thun - ta dha.

h I I k wn as "'a,kar 7. Kmmalaya : T is is popu ar Y no d ~ f b dh " I " . b ' .. In this the an /-Ii a a f or imp y paLra a/ana. , ,,.,,, br~gin s w ith the basic' tatkar' of the tala, e·g·d~lJa rent

h · ' f . 1 dId to show I e t et taL 0 tnta a a n I'l en procee S d there f 1 F the stu ents laya jatis, a nd ends in a as t aya. or t with

b I f th a rt interpre are et pa ttern s. ul t 1 masters 0 e II form.

TI11's should rea y t'xtem pore improv isati ons.

a. AMAD by Lachhu Maliaraj .

)

e. & f, PARAN and PARAMEL 26 by Bir;u Mahara; .

THAT by Lachhu Maharaj ,

d. TORA and TUKRA by Birju Maharaj.

. CHAKKAR J. by Sitara Devi.

h. TATKAR by Sudershan Kumar .

-

\ ------~

LTA han Kumar.

Ie GUN HAT I)y Gopi Kn han and Suder han Kumar.

part of the nat wan but due to its exclusive character it is classed separately.

8. Kauita : 'Kavita' is a poetic composition set to lala. The metres used usually are 'sawaiya ', 'ghanakshari', 'panch-chamara' etc.; very often a nalwari piece is a ffixed to it. The meaning is interpreted b y various ges tures, while laya is marked by the feet. Though abllinaya is evident in these compositions , it is cIa sed under nriUa because the rhythmic aspect is

predominant :

mura liki dhuna suna bajata mri da n ga dhun a dhudhu kitadhudhu kita dhuki tadhu kita thei tana taka rata utha hera taphe rata chita cha n dracha pala di gidigi nadigi digina digidi gi digidigi thodigi digitho digidigi digidigi kdan kidta thei yaka thei kidta the; yaka thei kidta thei yaka thei.

9 & 10. Toda and Tukada: Nothing definite is know n about these terms. Some use them in the sense of the w hole nritta p erformance when they say" tode lukde nacho". Others are of opinion that ' toda' in da nce is composed on the same pattern as the todas for sitar, which are of a fix ed pattern, with 'dara dida dran dadida' as bolas. 'Tukada' is supposed to be a small piece of the

nalwari variety.

11. Sangeela : When an y dance bola, b e it natwari, parameLu or paran, is r ecited in swaras it is ca lled 'w ngeela'. The late Maharaj Bindadin p erhaps wanted to onvey thi s idea when he sa ys in one of his padas: 'Sangeela nachal'a taguna tharikita latta Ihei thei Iram dhetta", b ecau e in thi ' Iagun tharikita' is paramelu, "atta thei thei tram' is natwari and 'dhetta' i part of a paran. T he R asadharis of Mathura a nd Vrindava n re it e all da nce bolas of the R asaleela set to a raga. In my opinion this is the true form of sangeeta. Thus \angeeta' is not variety of bola but the mode of musical rc ita tion of a ny bola.

12. Padhant : The word ' padhant' i derived from the a nskrit word pathana m eaning recitation. In a Kathak performa nce ' the G uru, or the da ncer him e lf. r cites the bolas to b e da nced. m a rkin g time of the taLa with hi ha nd-cla ps. The es ential points to b e observed in padhant a re, correct pronuncia tion , accents a nd intona tion of the bolas. In Sangeeta Ratnakara one of th q ua liti es of a dance teac her mentioned is, " mukha-

uadyes/lU kouidah". Explainin g thi s the commentator says that the t'mukhauadya" means recitation of the sounds produced on the muraja (drum).

In the compositions of the va rious bolas use is made of the jalis a nd yati.s.

latis: 'Jatis ' a re of fi ve kinds: 'C/lOtasra ', ' risra', 'Khanda', 'Mi ra ' a nd 'Sankeema'. Th e na me signify the kind of laya used . 'Chatasra' is four b ea ts of the boLa coinciding with four of the ta la . 'risra ' is three b eats coincidin g with four of the ta la . In ' khanda' fi ve b eats coincide with four ; in 'misra' seven a nd in 'sankeema' nine b eats come within the timing of four b ('ats.

Yatis : The 'Yati s' a re also fi ve in number a nd they a re visu a li sed p a tterns of ' laya '.

(i) Sarna-even . (ii) GopuchchllO-like the tail of a cow, beginning w ith s low or broad Laya w hich goes on tapering a nd ends in a fas t tempo. (iii) Srotagata-like a river fast a nd noi sy in the b eginning but gradua lly becoming slower. (i v) Mridanga-shaped like a pakhawaj, taperin g or fas t at both ends and broad in the middle. (v) Pipilika or Damaru-shapcd like a n ant or clamaru . broad at both ends a nd narrow in the middle.

These jatis a nd yatis ca n be used in a ny type of composition .

T he musical accompa nim ent to N ritta is ca lled a laflara which is jus t a one-line musica l piece. This in a sense is monotonous as the same line is repea ted over and over a gain , a nd erves more to ma rk the tim e a nd has Ie s m usica l va lue.

I have given in brie F a n account of the N ritta in Ka thak as it exists today . There is much scope For perfection a nd innovations. lew expressions are needed . but they should b e introdu ed b y the rn a ters of the art. who a re w ell ver ed in the techniq ue a nd are not lacking in imagin a tion, For it needs a creative and di sciplined mind to produce su ch work. Experiments can b e m ade a t composin g da nce on them es like ' tri ual' , 'chaturanga', 'tarana' and 'sargam' ,

The list 0/ items in N ritta, giIJcn in the tex t, is slightly di ffere nt from the list followed /01' illustrations du e to ex igencies 0/ layout .

27

2. Nritya

e Dadra

by Mohan Khokar

28

ritya. w hich is an importa nt aspect of Indi a n class ical d a nce. impl ies the rendering of the m eaning or import of a son g or s tory through sugges tive facia l express ion s. codifi ed gestures of th e h a nds a nd symboli c

postures of the body. A ll form of classical d ance in

India include N riLya in their technique. there b ein g pertinent vari a tion s in the m a nner in whi ch the i nter ­preta tion i e ffected in each s tyle. The technical Jay-out of K atha k. too. p rov ides ample .scope for N ritya. there b ein g distin ct items in thi s style of da nce which are intended specifically for ex press ion a l di splay. However. it deserves to h e pointed out th a t. while K a thak. like o ther form s of India n classical da nce, h as a vari ety of il ems wh ich involve the expressional rendering of a song. or of a seri es of son gs. it has also a set of Hems which ha ve no words. no song. bul' only expression . This latter a ttribute of Katha k ...... the u se of mime ...... puts thi s dance in a class b y itself. for there is no other r ecognised form of classical da nce in India which incorporates this facet of Abhinaya in its technique.

Kathak was originally a religious dance; hence the songs tha t accompanied it in its formation periods w ere of a religious character. After the chants of the Vedas . the earliest type of classical music in India is known to have b een that of the Chhandas. This was followed . in the M edieval period. b y the Prabandha style. of

which the Gila Govinda is a prominent example. After this came the music of the Keertans and the DhrupaJs. It is not known if Kathak was danced to the ChhanJas a nd the Prabandhas. when these w ere the only form s of s l'yli sed music exta nt in I·he country ; but it is certa in I·ha t Keertans and D/lrupads w ere, from the very b egin ­ning. u sed as son g-m a terial for Kathak. Prabandhas, such as the Gila Govinda. w ere a lso u sed. and are still u sed . in Kathak. hut they w ere probably intToduced into the repertory of thi s dan ce a fter the advenl of the Dhrupad and related form s of music.

The next phase in the evolution of the religious a nd styli sed music of N orth Indi a saw the emergence of form s su ch as the Hori. Dh.amar. Pad and Bhajan. all of whi ch were eventua ll y adopted for u se by the K a tha k dancer. After this. as a result of Muslim inAuence. Ihe styli sed music of N orth India ceased to b e essenti a ll y re li gious in ch aracter a nd new form s of on g a nd sin ging. exemplifi ed b y the Thumri. DaJra

a nd Ghazal. were u shered into existence. This new music w as of a n amorous ch aracter and. being in tune with Ihe mood and Ih e lempera ment of the rulers a nd the pahon s of I·he time. it was appropri a ted b y the K a thak da nce rs ~ ho. by now. were obli ged 1'0 confine their a rt to th ent erta inment a nd edifica ti on of only

the feuda l rulers and their nobility. The Ndtyaitem in K a thak. which a re b ased on

songs . a re nam ed a fl er the styles of sin gin g in which th ey a re render d . Thus. K a th ak has Dhrupads and Keertans. Horis, D/'amor . Pa.cls a nd Bhajcms, a nd Thumri.s. Daclras and Ghazals. When renderin g A b/'inaya for any of the e item s. the d a ncer him self or herself doe the sin gin g a well. This implie th a t a K a lh a k da ncer w ho present s Bl1aua. is ex pected to b e an ex pert voca li st as well. The nua nces of emotion are regislered on the face. a nd 10 a ugment the overa ll effect.

29

8

7

30

a. "Pragate Brij NaudalaI"

H is mother beckons him . .. 2 and lift s him up to hug him,

3 but he indulges in pia), . . .

4 and childish pranks. 5 H is mother says: " May he be

blessed wilh a long life . . . 6 .. . who fou ght K ansa . . .

7 . •• and slew him ...

8 ... ruthlessly."

it Bhaj01t performed by Birju Maha raj.

The composition is of Binda Din.

6

Radha is waiting in despair because she has been lold that Krishna is sporting with anot her woman.

" H e has his body and limbs smeared with sandal paste",

"H e wears the Pila mber of go ld"

h. "Haririha mugdha vadhu"

., Enjoying I he dance ." Radha's sakhi tells her: " H e is there" . . .

" H e wears garlands of the choicest flowers" .

" And a bewitching smile plays on his face" .

An Ashtapadi from the Gita GOlJinda, rendered by M aya Rao.

" I n the company of a woman of passion and allurement",

31

2

.1 & 2 " [ m ake entreaties to him, but he does not listen to me . .. "

:32

c. "Kahe rokat dagar pyare NandalaI mere

3 & 4 " . . . M ')I necklace he has ~a!" and he re fuses to return It.

Section of T humri perform;! b')l Birju M aharaj . Th~ corn sit ion is of Binda Dm.

•••

I. "I nto which lane ... . "

1. "Has Shyam gone?"

l. "Is it tha t lane he ha.s gone into?U

t "Ah,1 see, it is that lane he has gone into."

j, "As the surma enters the eJle so has he entered the lane of my vision . .. "

6. " ... He has entered the lane t~at i~ , the parting 0/ my hatr . ..

i. " ... Even as the bottle 0/ perfu me is opened .. .

8.

9.

gunyya kon galin gayo Shyam .. "

. performed by Shambhu Mah araj. The opening line of this Thurm'i is " Bata do kon gal in gayo ShJ,am". The pictures show how th e dancer de velops the theme Sanchari Bhava.

33

" See for yourself, he teases me amidst all my companions"

34

d. "Mohe chherhp. dekho saL narin me.

" ... he teases ... "

Thumri Andaz, performed by KUll1udini Lakhia ,

" ••

e. "Nikas chaI he tUIU ko Iai ke Sanwariya .. "

A Dadra performed by Shambhu Maharaj . In this Radha entreats Krishna to take her away, to take her far from the sakhis and gopis so that she can have Krishna all to herself. She further says that if he will not take her away, she will have to take him away.

I me to yourself . . .

:L'ill lake lOU. "11' pull you by' the hand. ,. 10(('

aU"

f. Hori Gat 1. Radha pours water into the pot for prepar· 01 for playing H oli. III, C ow.4

2. 3.

4.

Krishna, seeing this, says, "Wait my t"rn" Drenched with water sprayed by Krishna Ratlla . the water on her face . • •• ,.,., And also her arms.

S. After changing her clothes she comes a,ain to if Ir is still intent on mischief. I.. _ .....

6. Krishna again showers coloured waltr on her. Rendered by Damayanti Joshi.

g. Kaliya Mardana Gat

7

I. Krishna asks his mother fo r permission 10 go out and play. 2. The ball is thrown up ... and caught . '3. The ball falls into the river; Krishna is perturbed. -t . H e finds his way in the water. S. H e sees the serpent Kaliya, who bites his leg. 6. Krishna pulls at Kaliya. 7. Krishna thrashes Kaliya.

8. Kaliya subdued, Krishna dances a dance of victory on his hood.

R endered by Gopi Krishna .

37

38

.h. "Krishna kanhaiya nagar natwar panghat par tum gLer

I.

2.

3. 4.

She drops her pitcher and tries to escape.

H e again catches her by the arm.

She gets annoyed.

A nd asks him why he teases her.

5 . She says: "You obst!~ate lad, I'Ll teach you a lesson .

6. " I ·/l pul kajal in yottr eyes".

7. " Adorn "our face with a nose­ringu

.

fi. " Put rings on your fingers.

A Ka vita Tora by R ani Karna. The compoSitIOn is by Ihe lale Narayan Prasad .. The theme is as 102°lw~~ Krishna meets Radha at Ihe village well and begins to tease her. Sh e drop s her pacher, frees herself an her 10 escape. Bul ~rishna again ~atches he~ by the arm. At this she get~ ann~yed and asks ~im why he . peslh;~l .. ' and Ihen tells hIm that she WIll teach hIm a lesson, one day, b" dre sSIng hIm liP lzke a gnl and leasmg Seeing Ih is, Nn.rayon (colII/Jose r ) will beat his drum and cali everyone to see H is plight.

i. Ahhisarika Gat Rendered by Rohini Bhate. In this Cat, the Abhisarika Nayika is presented; she goes out determined to meet her lover, no matter ho~ many difficulties she may have to encounter on the way.

j. Palta of Gat T hese two figures show the Palta, by Kum udini L akhia, used to link consecutive sequences of a Cal .

I. She thinks: " 1 must meet him no matter what happens"

'l " I 'll go, even if it is pitch dark, or iJ there is rain and lightning . .. '

3. " Th e snake may come out to bite me ... "

4. " Or the th orns rna,' enter my fOOl "

5. " I 'll remove m y bells, so that nobody kno ws when I move 011/"

6. " But I will meet 1Ily lover!"

39

k. Nayika-Bhedas 1. R U PCARVITA

2. ACATAPATIKA

3. KALAHA NTA RITA

4. MUCDHA

5. A BHISA RIKA

6. VASAKASA JjA

40

who is prou d of her charms.

who receives the lover wit h a warm embrace

who J'epents after has gone.

bashful, she draws the her face.

her lover

eil over

determined to meet her lover, no matter what the obstacles thaI hinder her.

fully dressed and adorned expectation of her lover.

in

Hastas are also brought into play. It must be noted. though. that Kathak does not have a rigid code of hastas, nor such a rich one. as is found in the Bharata Nat yam and Kathakali systems of dance. Kathak dancers do use a number of 'conventional Hastas, but they do so without deliberation. for they are generally not versed in what may be called the science of Hasta­uiniyoga, as propounded by the early writers of Hindu dance and dramaturgy.

Though not much in vogue now, Dhrupad and Keertan were originally the only forms in which nritya in Kathak was presented. The Dhrupad style of singing came into being during the time of Raja Man Singh Toomar of Gwalior (1486-1518 A.D.). This style was evolved by blending the shastraic music. then prevalent. with certain elements borrowed from the regional folk music of the time. Once founded. this school of music rapidly built up a prodigious following, and for several centuries, it continued to be the leading form of shastraic music in North India.

Dhrupads are generally in Braj-bhasha. but there are also compositions in other regional dialects. such as Magadhi. Gaurhi and Apabhrans. Each composition has two to four stanzas and the theme generally pertains to the pr~ise and glorification of some deity. Vira-rasa is predominant in these ' songs, and after this come Karuna, Shant a and Sringara. The singing is done in a fixed style. with no ornamental Hourishes. and the puce is dignified and majestic, only sober talas such as Chautal. Sool and Tiura. being used to provide the rhythmic framework. Keertans are related in style to Dhrupads. but they can. unlike the latter. also be sung In chorus. The Leelas of Krishna. which are staged by the Rasdharis of Brajbhumi. were formerly performed to the accompaniment of Keertan music only. Some of the Keertans deal with dance and some have rhythmic syllables of Kathak and pakhawaj incorporated in their text ; this shows that Keertan music was formerly intimately linked with the religious dance of the time. Some of the prominent composers of Keertans whose compositions have been used in dance are Krishnadas. Govindaswami. Haridas and Surdas.

The Dhrupads and Keertans are in a form of poetry which is generally chaste and uplifting. The descrip­tive part of the poetry is generally direct in approach. but sometimes similes are also employed. The words or things which are commonly used for drawing parallels in description. it is claimed. are sixteen. four of these being flowers. four fruits . four birds and four animals . The Howers are kamala. champa. kumuda and kCltaki; the fruits. anar. shriphala. bimba and kadamba; the birds. hansa. kokila. papiya and saras; and the animals, gaja. mriga. sinha and meena. And even as these similes are used to embellish the poetry. they serve as ornaments to adorn the bhaua of the dancers.

Related to the musical form Dhrupad. is the Dhamar. which is also known as Hori. The songs of Dhamar and Hori all pertain to Krishna and his

dalliances with the gopis during the Holi festival. The songs are mostly in Braj-bhasha but there are also compositions in certain other regional dialects. such as Bhojpuri and Auadhi. The Dhamar is intended to be rendered solo, while the Hori can be sung by one person or by a group of singers. The Dhamar is sung in Dhamar tala. while the Hori uses the Deepchandi or Chanchar; these three talas. incidentally. have fourteen beats each. but they all differ in their structural pattern.

The other items of Nritya. which were in vogue as long as Kathak was a religious dance. are the Pad and Bhajan. Both of these are devotional pieces. These items are still performed in Kathak. though to a very limited extent. The songs are rendered in ragas. but improvised tunes are also freely used. It would be pertinent to point out here that in Kathak the appella­tion Ashtapadi is u sed not only in connection with Jayadeva' s Gita Govinda but also to deSignate any Pad which has the same scheme of versification. Some of the prominent composers of Pads and Bhajans. whose compositions are used in Kathak are Surdas. T ulsidas. Mira and Kabir.

The next stage in the development of Kathak saw the addition of a new set of items to the nritya content of this art. This occurred towards the fag-end of the Muslim hegemony in Northern India and it was apparently the result of a revolt against the puritanical rigidity that had come to characterise the musical forms then predominant. To suit the temperaments of the leisurely and sensual Nawabs of the time. w mode of music and dance-the Thumri ...... was i d

was rapidly followed by and Ghazal.

The name. Thumri. it is be d. is derived from the word thumku. meaning a graceful and balanced stamping of the foot. It is evident. therefore. that the

41

Thumri was created as a song for use with dance. Wajid Ali Shah. the last ruler of Oudh. is believed to have created the Thumri. and Kadar Piya. Sikandar Piya. Lallan Piya and Akhtar Piya. court musicians of the Nawab. are said to have perfected it. A Thumri has only three or four lines of poetry. but each phrase is repeated again and again. and every time with a new grace. a new lilt. a new musical nuance. The singing is done in classical style. but only simple ragas such as Peelu. Bhairavi. Kafi. ]hinjhoti, Pahari and Khamai are used. The main melody follows one raga, but the performer has the license to tinge this with tonal shades of other allied ragas. The Thumri is essentially a love ditty and its dominant rasa is Sringara. The language is Braj-hhasha or Hindi or Urdu or a mixture of all of these, but there are also compositions in certain regional dialects, such as Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magadhi. The words are invariably full of amorous significance, but sometimes they also lean towards frivolity or even vulgarity.

When rendering a Thumri in dance a Kathak per­former generally sits before his audience, covering his legs and feet with a shawl. He sings a line or a phrase of the song and at the same time does Bhava for it. He sings the same piece again and again, modulating his voice to suit the different Bhavas he wishes to create and project. His forte is Sanchari Bhava, and with this he is able to weave many allusions, some of which are realistic, some allegorical. His face mirrors the hhava he has in mind. and the eyes, in particular, are signi­ficantly expressive. The hands and the body are also brought into play, but their role is only secondary compared to that of the face and the eyes. Sometimes, before taking up the Thumri proper, the dancer prefaces it with what is called the Thumri Andaz. In this the dancer sings only the first phrase or the first line of the song and does very subtle Bhava. As he sings his body opens out, like a bud becoming a Hower, and gradually, almost imperceptibly. one can see the Bhava seeping through his form and coming to surface again. There is a continuous feeling and How of expression, but it is all done in a very ,subdued manner. Often, the dancer punctuates his liquid movements with a few stylised poses, these b~ing adopted to provide tangible links, as it were, to make. the delineation more effective and readily compr.~hensible. The Thumri Andaz partakes of the nature of 'll prelude and it helps consi­derably to create the mood, in the dancer as well as in the audience, for the Thumri proper which follows.

The Dadra, like the Thumri, is a love lyric. It is so called because it is sung only in Dadra tala. The language is mostly Braj-hhasha or Hindi and the melody ',is based on a light raga or on some folk tune. The Gh'azal, -:which is of Persian origin, is also a love song, but it is only in the Urdu language. The Ghazal is generally 'sung on ap. i~provised tune, but sometimes a simple raga is used as the basis of the melody. The Dadra and Ghazal. both of which originated as musical forms, entered the realm of Kathak almost as soon as they were created. Though rarely performed now. they were,

42

like the Thumri, very popular in the courts of the Muslim Nawabs of the last century.

The Bhava items enumerated so far are those wLtda use songs and melodies as accompaniment. Apart from these, Kathak has also items which use recitative poetry. The simplest of these is the Kavita. In this the dancer recites a Kavita, or poem, in a rhythmic manner. laylnf particular stress on the accented syllables. and at the same time, he shows Bhava to express the meanin, 01 the words. The Kavitas are mostly in Braj-bhaaha and the majority of these deal with the diversions and escapades of the deified heroes of Hindu mythololY with Krishna, the Eternal Lover, providing an oft-recurrln. theme. In some Kavitas, apart from the text. there are also Bolas, or rhythmic syllables of dance, and these are also set in the pattern and the framework of the vene. Such compositions are known as KavUa TorGI 01'

Bnmaina Parans; they are in Braj-bhasha and the, generally recount the attributes or tell of certain inddentl in the life of some god or goddess. The Kavitas and Kavita T oras are invariably recited in a fast tempo. the technical name for this recitation being Parhant. Often. the dancer does Parhant once. showing its rhythmic: structure by clapping the hands, and then does it alaln. accompanying it this time with dance, As the ~ tion is generally fast, it is understandable that t accompanying Bhava is not sustained but jerky. If t:ii may use that word. The entire item unfolds f apace, so that the beholder at best catches merIJ Heeting glimpses of the salient moments of the ren i ing. Nritya is done only for those portions 0

the recitation where there are words: the other portions. that is, the Bola sequences, are rendered in nritkl.

Belonging to the same category as the ~ and Kavita T ora are two other items. that ...

Vandana and T andava. The Vandana is an invO:::

piece and it is intended to be performed at the ~thaIr of a recital. This item was much in vogue when

was markedly rel igious in form a nd pi rH. but nowadays thi da nce is seldom. if ever, seen. The composition i in the for m of a Kavita or a Kauil.a T ora and it is in pra ise of some deity, such as Ganes h. araswal' i, D urga or Ma hes h. orn e V andanas, a fter the ma nn er of Kauita T oras , a l 0 in corpora te rh ythmic Bolas of the pakhawaj or da n e in th eir com po ition ; such compo­si lions a re kno w n as Parans, th e Ganesh Paran bein g an oul ta ndin g example of thi s vari ety. The T andaucl compositions, too , have the same s tructure and the same ma nner of rendering as the Kavitcls a nd Kauita T oras. T he th eme of the T andavas. h owever, i limited . for these compositions perla in on ly to the tTiumpha nt da nce of some deity. T here are three types of T andauas genera ll y used in K ath a k. n amely, Krishna Tandclua, S hiua T anciaua and R auana T anclcLVcl, but sometimes a fourlh \ ar iety..-Kalika T andaua, is a lso recognised .

T he nritya aspect o f K a thak, as remarked a t the oulset. a lso emb races items w hich have no on g or rec ila ti on but onl y expression a l da nce. S uch items belo ng to the rea lm of mim e and it would b e pertin ent to ilera te here tha t mi me is a very importa nt a nd d istingui shing fea tu re of K a thak dance. Th e item in r a lhak in whi h mi.me finds its full es t express ion is th e G a l. a nd of thi there are a few va ri eties.

]n the Gat, the dan er takes a n idea or a theme a nd pre ent il s mea ni.n g through suggestive a nd allusive faci al express ions and styli sed movements a nd sta nces . T he sim ples t form of Gat is the Gat-nikas; in thi s the per fo rmer takes a few steps fo rwards, th e mann er of doi ng this b ein g rela ted to the theme of the in ter­preta tio n, and then adopts a signi fi cant pose. Fulne of expr ss ion , however, finds its place in items of Gat-bhava. In G at-bhava th e d ancer takes a n action or a theme, story or episode and interprets it throu gh mim e.

ometimes the subj e' t of the interpretation is very simp le, but its b eauty li es in the way. ra ther, in the va riety of ways in w hich it is rendered in Gat-bhava. T hus, for example, in the Ghunghat G at, the dancer h as to show the action ' of pullin g the veil over the face. w h ich he p resents in so many different ways : the manner in which each type of ayaki would do thi can, in fact, b e Faithfully portrayed only b y an accompli shed K a tha k da n er. Or. take a no ther simple theme: tha t of Kri sh na playin g the flute. There a re nu merous representa tions of thi s in traditional India n pa in ting and sculpture, a nd , if one studies these closely. they w ill all b e found to be more or less alike. However. a Kathak da ncer can po rtray this very theme in scores of d ifferent ways: he ca n present Kri shn a in different emotional sta tes and show how he would ra ise the flute to h is lips and play it in each situa tion . The exlent to wh ich any sim ple theme can b e developed a nd elabora ted in K a th nkis trul y remarkable.

T he rendering of G ats is a lways accompanied b y mUs ic: thi s musi i in th fo rm of a refra in which j

played on orne 'inslrum ent, such as th e Saran gi. and the rhy thmic element is provided by the labla . \ I\1 hen p r formin g Gats, the ,abla a nd the lehra , or musica l

refr a in , keep fun ti onin g in a fas t tempo. but the dance it elf is rendered in a much slower speed . In Gats whicl, have a n ela bora te theme. or in w hi ch th ere is more than on e characl er to be portrayed. t-he dancer inva ri ably executes Pall.a to link the consecuti ve s q uences. The Pall.a is a movement in w hich the da ncer teps to on e . ide and a l' the same lime a llow hi s bod y 10 complete a revo lution .

When performin g GaLs, the da n er in va ri a bly p resents a number of them together. However. it is to be noted th a t it i not bindin g on the d ancer 1'0 have any speCia l seq uence w hile doing G ats con secuti vely. One Gat may lell o f som elhing and immedia te ly a fter Iha l the dancer may show a nother G at which may have no li n k w ha tsoever with the precedin g Gat. B efore doin g a ny G at il' is customa ry for the perform er to acq ua int the a udienc w ith its theme. T he themes of Gats can b e broadly di vided into three types : Gats w hich dea l with sim ple action s. GaLs perta inin g to K rishna a nd Gals based on other mytholog ica l ch a racter or episodes . T here a re numerous Ga.!s of each type in vogue. som e of the common on es b ein g those perta in in g to Hori , Pang flar. G agri, / amuna Tat , Panihari, Bansuri, Mukul. Ch erh-Char/l , Govardhan, Kaliya-Marclana, aD,

Baan, Ghunghat, A nchal, Ram V anauas, Draupadi C heer-Harana, M aricha-V adha, A lwlya U ddhara , Samudra Manthan, ita Harana, MahahharaLa, Laua­Kusha and Shankar-Parvati.

nother type of mime that is p resented in K a thak is wh en show ing the different Galis. GaLi mea ns ga it, a nd it is a p art of the N ritya asp ect of K a thak to present the ga its of ce rta in a nima ls a nd bird and types of wo men. The Galis a re don in the form of lyri cal movements a nd simple steps and there is not much by way of facial express ion. Examples of Gatis b ased on the movements o f a nima ls a nd birds are Gaja-gaU, S inha-gaLi, Hansa-gali and Mayur-gati. Galis are a lso p resen ted to sh ow the ch a racter of differen t types of women , examples of su ch Galis b ein g the Hansa -gamani, Gaja-gamani, Sankani, Danka ' Chaturni.

There is yet anoth er way in which K a t e mime a nd tha t is in presentin g the Nayika-

t'ri tl y spea kin g, thi p a rt of K a thak ca in Gat-bhava. To show the cha racter a n teri ti cs of a N ayika, the Katha k dancer(jllJ~itii actions and movements w hich are a soc particul a r type of woma n and a t the sam

VffL __ "--~

care to fl avour hi interpreta tion with the , hi ch is representa tive of the Nayika in u p resenta tion of Nayika-blw clas in the for not done b y many K a thak da ncers..-a t I po iUon n ow, w ha tever m ay h ave b een tr However, thi should not b e v iewed too s must b e conceded that practica ll y every da nce r performs a nritya item , whether t a Thllmri or a nythin g else in hi s Ie er

rea te a nd projects. w het her he is a r the pi ture of a pa rticular Nayika, heroine, or hero , or of va rious combina tions of the e

( Phot os by cou rtesy, Sh ri M ohall Kho kar )

43

2

3. The Hastas in Kathak by Maya Rao

44

I . Radha applying Surma. 2. Plucking flowers (Samdamsa Hasta).

3. H ands showing a variety of GhunHghatt

k)i Gat ( K atakamukha and Ardhapataka as a .

4. K rishna playing 011 the flut e.

5. K rishna picking up a stone. 6. Radha embracing Krishna (Mrigasirsa and

Katakamukha Hastas) .

6

K a lh ak employs a seri es of des tures to interpret the va ried ri chn ess of crea tion. Yet it does not follow the ys tem of m emori sin g the hastas as a code under their

prescribed names. as w e find in Bhara ta Na t yam or Ka thakali. In K a tha k the body as a whole is visualised as the prim e medium of express ion. H ence its gestura l la nguage is not class ifi ed separately.

For instance. if th e dan cer intends to represent the moon . not only will hi s hand show the Arcl1w-c!lClnclrct [-[asta, but his body will a lso bend in an a rch to suggest the idea of the crescent moon.

In place of the codified gestures, Kathak has evolved a system of its own in imparting tTa inin g in the language of ges tures-through gal , gClt-nikas and ga L-bhava.

In gal., th e da ncer ta kes the stance a ppropriate to the 11.asl,a symbolising a certain idea: while in gat -nikas he moves forwa rd formin g a posture with a gait, ap propriate to the charader portrayed . In gat-bhaua w hich is in the form of condensed story telling, short p ieces depiding seasonal themes and episodes from epics or legends, of th e favourite deiti es, are re-told th rough a varied use of hastas, embellished with suitable ex pressions a nd stances.

Thus we see that there is a definite sys tem of representing objeds and ideas through the hastas, which conforms to the rules laid down in the ancient texts on da nce and dramaturgy. U nfortunately these hastas are no t known to the Kathak dancers by their textual names.

However, we can infer that in the history of Kathak, there must have b een a stage when the gestures were studied in strict accordance with the shastras . But later on, the teach ers must have drifted away from the texts reta ining only the usages of the gestures which they ha nded down to their di sciples.

In support o( rpy contention , I shall illustTate the openin g item of Kathak. p erformed as a n invocation to the stage and presidin g deity, as taught b y Shri S hambhu Maharaj. This is known as the Rang-Manch ka Tukra. It is p erformed in the order given b elow:

A fter taking h er position on the stage, the dancer comes forward , proceeding first to the right, with the rig ht h a nd stretch ed towa rds that direction and left ha nd res ting on the bosom : the palms of both h ands face downwards. This is repea ted to the left , with a respective change in th e hands. After this the dancer ta kes a turn with th e symbol of holding Rowers above the head , a nd then bring down the ha nds offerin g pushpanjali to the left. The sam e order of movem ents is repeated for the se ond tim e with hands folded in a namaskar in p lace of the hands holding Rowers. Then the tempo is raised from tha, dun to c1lClugun, revealing a few b eautiful movements a nd the final e i marked by a namaskar. After this the dancer takes her pos ition to the left of th e stage.

On an a nalysis thi s p iece stra ngely reveals a striking imilarity to the push.pcmjali described in 'Sangee ta

D arpancl', a trea ti se written in the 17 th century by C hatura Damodara. who was patroni ed by Emperor

J ehang ir. Acco rding to thi book which gives deta il ed descriptions of the dance sequences prevalent at that time. the da ncer opened her recital invoking the blessings of Parvati, originator of the lasya variety of dance by reciting a verse :

BhavcLtam Bhutaye Bhuyat Bhavani ...... "R"·uvu~-..

Angikrtcl Susangeeta Bhangi Mudi!

rendering this invoca tion. shown by moving forward , 'Bh.LL/aye' with alapallava 'Bhuyat' with an enCircling hasl.a, ' Bhav ani' with aniali and so on. Further, the wei

to be rendered in all the Employing the ango, upanga dancer should move firs t to the and then turn round Signifying directions, after which she bows pushpanjali in pushpaputa hasla. She tou with anjali hasta.

The close resemblance between these mentioned , shows that the Kathak

forwa rd the fram e-work of gestures and P"~rfis cribed for pushpanjali in an empirical ma

the literature connected with it.

Swabhavika Hastas : Similarly a can eas ily find the various hastas used da ncers. in the supple and Howing movements of their gat and gat-bhaua. Hastas like pataka, In-pataka, shikhara, kapiLtha, kataka-mukha, chatura, hamsasya etc. are u sed s ingly as well as in their various combinations, to denote objects and characters identi cal with those mentioned in the texts . But to a Kathak dancer . who is oblivious of their technica l names. these hastas have no separate entity of their own. H e merely uses them as swabhauika ltastas , in other words, gestures which are employed in tinctively. For instance. he may use a combination of hastas like kapiUha and shikhara to represent Rama, but he will refer to it only as Rama ki gat.

Hastas Vibrant with Life : Further, it may b e mention ed that in Kathak the gestural language is n either conFined to codified hastas nor is it m echanically decora tive. In thi s system. each finger throbs with life, modu la ting the ha nd movem ents to echo the ch anging

moods of th e them .

For insta nce, take the pal,aka hastas which are u sed to indi ca te the blowing of winds or movement of waves . If the da ncer intends showing the waves in a fury, the mood is ca ptured b y violent, broad movem ents of the pataka hasta. On the other hand, if he intends showing the tra nquil waves, a rare suppleness is shown in the undulatin g movements of the Fingers in the same ha.sta.

ga in while the balmy breeze of Vasant (Spring) is re pre ented by a languorous wave of pataka hasta, the fro st-bitten wind (of Winter} is shown with a stiffening of the Fingers in ~he same hasla.

imila rly various hastas are u sed to depict subtle shad es in the mood of a character. For instance , in the

45

ca e of a nayika waiting anxiously for the a rri va l of h er lover, the ends of her veil are gentl y dra wn over th e face with kataka-mukha hastas a nd removed as s lowly with tri-pataka hastas. to revea l the yearnin g desire in her eyes. In the case of a nayika who is sure

lover's fidelity. the veil is drawn over th e fa ce the right hand holding the kataka-mukha

as swiftly by th e left hand in ardha,­to reveal the triumphant sm ile playing on

a nayika in her varying emotion al a ttitudes in at least ten vari eties of hastas. But to

dancer all these are known as vari eti es of nnl,JDjD n(u! Hastas representing Rama. Arjuna or any

legendary heroes. change according to the itua tion ich they are placed. For instance, R a ma, as a

n Ayodhya. is represented by hastas d escribin g and other distinctive symbols of the court. case of Rama, as an Exile in th e fores t, th e

Nlrlrp"pnt-ing him will cha nge a ccordin gly.

es tiue gestures: B es ides these hastas govern­and experience. K a thak has adopted with s the suggestiue type of gestures . in whi ch

'~liir"'''',hII_ is portrayed through the association of ideas.

instance. the idea of a river is conveyed by the rowing of a boat or with gestures of

A deer is picturised by showing the prancing with an alacrity in the u se of the mukul

'Lu --"ur~u hastas. The agility of the animal is m VPv"(l by the darting glances whi I, acco mpa ny

Srawan or the Rainy season is brought to the spectators. by showing all the favourite p as times asso­ciated with the ,;eason. The d escription is furth er e laborated by shOWing the impact of the sea on of romance on parted lovers. To quote another insta nce of suggesti,ve gestures. a peacock is introduced by first showing the clouds and rain. two objects which in spire

t he beautiful bird to sing and dance.

Again. the pangs of separation in a nayika are conveyed most poignantly by d epicting the restle s Right of the chakor to the distant moon. This is shown with a dexterous manipulation of the fingers in the kartari-mukha hasta. supplemented by the movements of eye-brows which rise alternately. suggestive of the

flapping of wings.

With the synthesis of the Hindu a nd M.uslim cultures. a set of decoratiue gestures were introduced in K a thak which became an integral part of 'gats' carryin g

the aroma of the court. Descriptions of these gats are found in various books written during th e last century. Each of these gats symbolises not only a concrete object but also a n abstract quality. These gats which a re in the nature of 'Angaharas' mentioned in Bharatarnaua and Natya Shastra Sangraha, give graphic d etails of

compositions a long with the position of the hands. A careful study of these will b ear testimony to the fact that tlwy have been composed a ccordin g to a certain system of aesthetics. The scholars who wrote about them

46

were so particular about maintaining the authenticity a nd aes th eti c quality of th e e gats , that they deemed it neces ary to illustrate th em les t they should be mis­represented. According to the author of 'Naghmat-ul_ HineZ ', written in the last century. d escriptions of three hundred and sixty such gats were given in a book written b y Prakash Kathak. (the great grandfather of Shri

hambhu Maharaj). nfortunately we do not have a full acco unt of all these gats . which . if obtained. would revea l th e whole gamut of gestures. However. book written during the fast century give d etailed accounts of a few gats prevalent at that time. 'Ghunchae-Raag'; 'Saut -uZ-Mubarak-' (written b y Wajid Ali Shah) and , Clghmal -ul-Hind' mention 14 gats, while 'Madan-ul­Musiqui' d escribes 2l.

hort d e cription of these gats will serve as an illustTa tion to th e new set of gestures . which were introduced over a hundred yea rs ago.

Pari : VVith her hands stretch ed out to resemble th e wings of a fa iry, the dancer moves forward and backwa rd without turning her back to the a udi ence. H er expression suggests that she is submerged in th e ocean of love. (T he position of the hands is identical wit h pataka hasta) .

Salaami: Placing her right hand on the forehead with the palm hollowed and fingers slightly bent. the d a ncer moves forward and backward as in the previou [tat. H er gaze rests on the left hand which is dropped in its normal position. (The position of right hand is identical with sarpa-sirsha hasla inverted whil e the left i identical hasta).

Fariyad: Raising th e right with its fingers b ent into the thumb placed on th e index proceeds forwa rd. with left hand d[(>PI>eCIA111!:! position. H er pleading eyes are fixed on (The form a tion of the right hand idt~tilca mushti hasta).

Mukut: With both the head to d e cribe the crown, interlocked . the dancer moves linger of the rai sed hands. (The ha

with uaishnaua hasta).

Anchal: With the right hand

h ead as if to hold the veil. and left in its normal position. the dancer

her gaze on the left hand.

Muskurati: With the right h lower lip , es pecially th e middle lip ; a nd [eft h a nd placed

dosed a nd thumb jutting

h e looks over the p a tron alternately. identical with pataka.

Muaddab: With placed on that of the left and h

d lk I d · 'fi d g ' t keeping er ancer wa s wit 1 a 19nf e al . 'd real on the navel. (The formation of the hands IS I en I

, ith the sampula 'Jasta) .

Husn : \ Vi th her right ha nd p laced on th e bosom a nd [eft hand dro pped in its normal position . th e dancer wa lks gracefull y lookin g at h r bosom and th en a t th e le ft hand a lt·ernate ly. The fing ers o f the ri g ht ha nd are d rawn together.

Ghunghat : With th e right hand placed on th e hea d to hold th e ed ge of th e ve il firml y a nd th e other ha nd ra isin g th e vei l from the face. the dancer pro eeds forwa rd with th e ga ze res ting on th e bo om .

Mehboob: With th e e il dra~ n over h er face a nd ha nds dropped in th eir normal pos ition . the d a ncer goe forward . with hes itan t step ' to suggest that . h e is on a tryst.

Naaz: With th e right han d placed in th e middle of th e ches t like a pillar, with its elbow restin g on the pa lm of t-he left hand. which is placed across the , a ist. th e dancer proceeds forwa rd. H er chin res ts on the Fingers of th e right ha nd.

Gamza : With the right hand placed on th e head a nd left hand dropped in the normal position. th e da ncer walk with a swaying ga it. The fingers of the r ight ha nd a re bent. H er eyes res t on th e bosom .

Ada : With both her hands placed on th e sides a nd gaze lifted towa rds th e sky. th e dancer walks forward modes t/yo

These gats whic h seem to h ave won universa l acclaim . a re common to a ll th e books men tioned above. T he seven gats in addition to this . found in 'Madan-ul

lusiqui' are:

Krishna or KanhaiyyCl Gat: With h er hands ugges ting th e holding of the Rute to the [i1>s. the

da nce r proceeds forwa rd a nd d escribes a c ircle going down on her knees. (The position of th hands is identical with chatum hastas).

Sayaka: With h er hand stre tc hed towards th e ~ ky. the d a ncer walks w ith a hes it a nt ga it . her qui ck frightened gla nces suggesti ng th e impact of li g htnin g.

Karishma : Placin g th e right ha nd obliquely on the ri g ht s'ide of the head with fing ers in level with I he eye. a nd left hand on th e chin. the dancer moves forwa rd with a res tra int. H er eyes a re directed towards II, bosom.

Do Dasti : With her right ha nd placed near th e lef t shoulder and left ha nd he ld tra ight. th e dancer moves First to th e right a nd th en to th e Icrt , looking in the direction in whi h her ha nds a re held .

Jaclu : Holdin g th e peshwaz w ith t-he two Fingers of her ri ght hand and placing it on her head . the d a ncer moves forward . The left hand rema ins in it s norm a l po ition . (The position of her ri ght han d ;s identi cal w ith th e hamsasya has/a of atya SI1astra).

Mehbooba: Holding th e ends of th e peshwaz on eith er side. th e d a ncer walks forwa rd with her gaze d irected towards the patron. (The pos ition of the ha nds i ' identica l with the lw msasya hastas of Abhinaya D arpana) .

her ng th e ed ge of th e pesh wa:; with

placing it on her waist. th e d a ncer ri ght and re turns to th e left.

rds th e right. her steps a re in hile returning. they become soft

Apart from the wealth of ge ' tur s bhaua as seen hilh(·rlo , there a re used in nrirta which conform to

hinaya Darpana, Bharatamaua a nd of th em are employed in rendering a n opening item in th e repertoire.

has lOB in rendering rh ythmic pa Hems like ParalnBlllQ _ HU",".,U and Paran where the movements of pI illQ pakhawaj, manjira an4 other instrume out in the gestures of the h\,nds. In fact in old book on music in N orth India a 'Haslak' is as the gesture of th e hand w hich echoes the e feet marking tim e tq the paramelu.

er variety of

ces of the rhythmi c

shown us the close between hastas used in Kathak a nd those

found in th e tex ts. I sha ll enumerate the hastas which can be identified with those from Abhinaya Darpal1a, Bharatarnaua a nd Natya Shastra Sangraha:

Asamyukta l-lastas..-(Single ha nd ges tures ) : Pataka. Tri -pataka. Ardha-pataka. K a rtari-mukha.

rdha-cha ndra , Arala. Mushti. Shikhara. Ka pitth a. K a ta ka-mu kh a. uchi , Padma-kosa. Sarpa-shirsh a. Mriga- hirsha, imha-m ukha. Kangula . Alapa lJava. Chatura. Bhram a ra, H am sasya. Samdamsa. Mukula.

amyukta /-fastas..- (Combined ha nd gestu re): Pus hpa-pu ta. An jali, Chatllrasra, Dol a. Avahitta. Pata ka-swastika. K a lasa. V a is hnava. Ham a -pak ha. Karkata. wastika . tsanga. Chakra. P asa. Kilaka. Samputa. Matsya . S hankha. N a ga-b a ndha. Kha tva .

ra ruda . Kataka Vardhmana. Tilaka.

NriUa /-fas tas..-according 10 BharaLarnava and Natya hastra Sangraha:..-Udvritta. Talavakrta . Aviddha vaktra. C ha turasra. Swastika, Vipra kirn a. ·uchi -mukh a . R echita . Pallava. Kesabandh . Lata. K ari­

has ta. Dandapaks ha, Pak avanchita. Pakshapra d yotab. rdhwa ma nda li. Pa rsva mandali . Alapadma. Jn ana.

La lit a . Mudra. a linipadmakosa.

nd according to Abhinaya Darpana: Pataka . wastika. Dola, Aniali . K a taka-vardhana. Sakata. Pasa.

Kil a ka . Kapittha. ikhara . Kurma, Humsasya and A lapadma .

In conclusion, w e may say t·hat. as th ese gestures a re a lread y in vogue. th ey may be studied and class ifi ed . so that a stand a rdi sed form of th em can be made a n essenti a l part of th e training of a Kathak dan er.

(Photos by courtesy, M aya Rao )

47

III. Music, TheIne and

1. The Role of Rhythm by S. K. Saxena

assume that the reader has a fair knowled ge of dance and rhythm. M y attempt here is only to

in analysing this knowledge. I propose to adopt point of view_grammatical. psychologica l

The object of my analysis is Rhythm a a of Kathak dance.

remarks appear necessary with regard the field of 'taal'. I have to make

crudely, due to limita tions of space . iere movement of things in space or of ideas in mind,

is just a fact, not value. It b ecomes laya on gettin g involved with the mind flowing along with it. D efinite understanding necessitates measurement of laya in term of ex tent, speed and manner of movement. This

gives us taal! crr~: CfiT~f<ti!fT m<flf, (~lTRr ~c;n<.fi?:)

lATRA-lTS SIGNIFICANCE : That which makes tbis measurement pos ible is the

unita ry being of the "matra'. But its being 1 / 16 th of 'tritaal' is only the grammatical. not the entire, signi ­fi cance of the matra in this timing-cycle. A s experienced , the matra has a distinct psycho-aesthetic settin g, which gives it the value it has. First, it s ignifies a di stinction which thought everywhere needs. To think of something is at once to hold onto, or to interj ect, a distinction therein. A 'matra' is the recognition of this primal affirmation of thougbt, wben it hu to deal with a Aow. It gives the mind a foothold , as it were, into the bein g of laya. S econdly, the experience of a 'matra' is a t once one of beauty, of the accents of a Row, and not one of the mere succession of detached units. A flow tha t a ffirms as it slides, and slides over what it affirms-this is the b as is of our experience or 'layakari', providing a t once the grammatical and aestheti c fundam ents of the la lter. The numberless manifestations of rhythmic charm only shuFne and re-shuf1le the constituents of thi s origina l ex perience. Discreteness within or against continuity­I-hi s is to my mind the very breath of ' layakari'. H ence, in the very basic ' bols' of 'tatkaar' in Ka thak dance. we have a t the outset the contrast of err with q.. matra a sserting. through an emphatic stroke of the dancer'

48

• In

feet. its (rela ti ve ) independence as against the Row of the timing-pa ttern ; the li stener ontinuing the Row of ' laya · imag inatively. inspite of the defiant 'matra'; and the Row of the pa llern creatin g tin y tufts of such accents, strokes or bols around the 'matras as are not normally marked on th e tabla' and so fall between the 'matras', thus rela ting to ' [aya's' own self-oF a ll this vari ed beauty of rhythm the raw ma teria l is provided b y the mind's perception of di screteness in th e continuity of Row. The tota l fact-the di screteness or individuality of accents, not merely in itself. but a diversifying the Row-is to be perceived b y the lis tener. or else he will remain wholly in ensitive to the cha rm of ' layakaari'.

THE NAT RE OF LAYAKAARl: Layakaari is the temporal representation of the

diverse as articulating , vivifying . and variegating and manifesting. but. IJY no means exhausting or disrupting the original continuum. And. considering that the raw ma teria l of beauty. here. is only the mind as interjecting di stin ctions into ideall y ap prehended motion. the more one ma nipula te rhythm in numberless way. the more deeply is he imbued-often visibly to the point of with a sense of infinity of ' laya'. It is not without tha t, when it comes to the a rti culation of a really pa ttern . the ' parhanl ' of a veterer Kathak such as

rityacharya N araya n Prasad of Jaipur g or A charya Sunder Prasad. the con~JT1mTlI"-'

representative of both Lucknow and Jaipur deepens into a ton e of di stinct wo experi ence of ' layakari'-not the merely a rti cula tion of a pa ttern . for . I repeat. ' manner and 'matms ' reall y mean s the ment w ith a Row-is. in norm al human most obvious experi ence of infinity a mount of help From the senses. subjective element. the m experi ence of awe and -in dw indles into a merely poss ibili ty of the deepenin g experi ence of the ever more K a thak dan e). collapses forthw

Rhythm envelopes the visible aspect of Kathak dance in a tissue of ideality, rarefying it, as it were, and tempering the merely visible with the fineness of the imaginatively apprehended. Specific timing patterns (all set in tritaal) are to be analysed later in this essay. but, by way of anticipating for the reader one of my ultimate conclusions. I may here say that the really subtle moments of rhythmic appeal speak largely to the understanding. though certainly they are also perceived, because heard by the ear. And the understanding which enjoys 'layakaari ' in Kathak dance knows distinctively what timing cycle is being employed; Rows uninterrupted with the otherness, not separateness, of the patterns being woven across it; and even deviates readily along with the performer's deliberate ramblings into patterns which cut and cross. at delightfully varied angles, the 'thekaa's' own frame, without for a moment forgetting the manner and speed of the latter-the true aesthetic matrix of the temporal aspect of the recital. so that the effect of variety, of contrast, of deliberate slackening and gather­ing up of speed, is never lost. Such a sustained. penetrating inclusive and elastic effort of attention is not easy, and that is why the aesthetic charm of layakaari is often missed.

ASPECTS O~ KATHAK DANCE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF RHYTHM:

(a) THAAT: We may now pass on to consider the different aspects of Kathak dance from the viewpoint of rhythm. Generally, a Kathak dance recital begins with 'thaat', which is a beauteous opening posture providing that initial transmutation of the merely physical into the aesthetic which is necessary, if dancing is to appear a creating of beauty. But the statuesque quality of the posture is not mere stillness ; rather, it is self-possession .-creative energy held patiently in check and allowed to manifest itself in the quiet, yet varying Row of 'laya', rather than through the impatient. diversified and sparkling form of jugglery with 'taal' and footwork. The graceful movements which the dancer's body here executes-without really leaving the spot of standing­are technically called 'kasak', 'masak', 'duran', 'muran', all of which present the figure as teeming with the subdued strength of 'Zaya'. Whether executed with the eyebrows, neck, wrist or waist, these movements are soft, gliding, continuous. wavy, full, and supple. A 'thaat' brings out the continuity or the Row of 'laya' rather than the discreteness of 'matras', the latter appearing rarely except in the 'sum' which. when attained, must needs be signalled by a sharp, and clearly defined (not obtrusive) movement or turn of the neck or the eyes, or a stroke of the feet. If the 'tabla' player presents a simple 'thekaa' when the 'thaat' is being struck, the net aesthetic impression produced by the 'wrist' and other movements of the dancer. in the mind of an understanding onlooker, will be one of the Row of 'laya' as animating and running through the 'matras'.

(b) AMAD: We now come to the 'amad'. It is certainly an Urdu word which means advent or coming. But, coming of what? This is precisely the question which remains to be clearly answered by the interpreters of Kathak dance. Some are of the opinion that the pattern called 'amad' is really to be played

on the tabla and that it heralds the advent of the dancer. But, this tells us nothing about the aesthetic character or the temporal design of the' amad'. Our understanding of the 'aamad' should, on the one hand, mark it oll dearly from the ' thaat' and other facets of Kathak dance; and, on the other. give us a clear idea of the amad's own nature. To my mind, an 'amad' in Kathak dance. as probably also in the 'gatkaari' of instrumental music, is a pattern which emphasizes the manner of gaining access to the 'sum'. Its net aesthetic effect is that of the pattern gathering up-in its last sub-section, which, because of the 'upgathering', moves fast with its inner accents very closely knit. yet without eclipsing or blurring one another-its loveliness, as it were, to be delivered finally at the 'sum'. The orientation of the approach at once underlines the pivotal quality of the goal. which appears to determine the movement from the end-side; and so, the 'amad' also emphasizes the 'sum' as the aesthetically centra\, and that in the very act of outlining the manner of approach to the 'sum'.

'SUM' AS THE AESTHETICALLY L'EN­TRAL: Some remarks as to the nature of the 'sum' or the focal point of the timing cycle here appear necessary. The thakaa, as the ground of all 'layakaari', must have a character of its own. It must have some centralized significance; it must appear -as a structural unity with a distinctive centre. That centre is the 'sum'. But, I hasten to add, the aesthetically central is a fount of value; it does not merely have a specifk location in the timing-cycle, but must appear as determining the beauty of that which encompasses it. Now, if the 'sum' is to reveal its true character as an aesthetic centre, or its legitimate place in the economy of the' thekaa', it must appear distinctive in two ways. First, it must have an unmistakable sharpness and definiteness about it, whether this suggestion is conveyed by a stroke of the feet or through a sharp turn of the neck. Also, let us not forget that the 'sum' is intended to mark the {relative} cessation of the Row or 'laya' as marked by the 'thekaa' or as manifest in a temporal pattern, and that, therefore. on attaining to the 'sum', the dances must grow statuesque, if only for a brief instant; or else, the pattern would appear not completed. but only over­reaching itself into the subsequent one, and the danein", as a whole, would seem a bit too Howing. deficient clearly in definiteness of inner, temporal accents-a blurring or interfusion, not distinctness. of details.

Secondly, the 'sum' should appear not merely as the last stroke or 'matra' of the 'thekaa' or the pattern, but as the logical culmination of a self-evolving movement. Putting the two together, it might be said that the 'sum' should not merely come but emerge. The manner in which the pattern gains access to the 'sum' is the 'amad', and the exact point at which (or the manner in which?) this movement originates is 'nikaas'. It is the clearly identifiable, because distinctly designed, character of the 'amad' understood as the manner of gaining access to the 'sum' which makes the old masters say that the advent of (or approach to) the 'sum' should be visible from a distance, as it were-from its point of emanation or 'nikaas', to be precise.

49

ANALYSIS OF AMAD: A characteristic 'a.mad',1 employing only the basic 'boZs' or textual symbols. of Kathak dance is as follows:

(ffiT ffiT q"T ~ q.~ ffiT dl ~ ~ ffiT ffiT ffiT q.~ I 5 8 9 12 13

aa q"a ~ q"amr) S 9 13 16

( ffiT ffiT q" T ~~ q~ ffiT m ~ ~ ffiT mr ffiT ~ ffiTffiT ~ 1 9 11 13

q"amr) iSI6 (ffiT ffiT m ~ q.~ ffiT ajT ~ ~ ffiT ffiT ffiT ~ ffiT ffiT ~

1 5 6 7

ffiTmr aT q.~ q.~ ffiT m ~ q.~ ffiT d1 ~ ~ ffiTT m --8 9 12

m q.~ ~ ffiT q"T q.~ q~ ffiT ffiT ~ aT ~ ~ q"a q"T) 13 15 16 1

The three main sub-sections of the above pattern are each put within a brackets: and. when actually danced or played at the tabla. the third sub-section moves quicker (in respect of 'laya') than the second. and the second moves quicker than the tirst. Different exponents of Kathak dance present widely different patterns as 'amads', and it is very difficult to define this aspect of a Kathak recital. But. two theoretical considerations certainly give us some help in this direction. First, in so far as it comes quite early in a regular performance. it appears safe to say that an 'amad' should employ only the basic' boZs' of dance such as the ones quoted in the pattern above.

Secondly, the How of 'taaC', upgathering iteself visibly as it were. to gain access to the 'sum'_this indeed appears to be the main aesthetic character of 'amad', understood as a distinct aspect of Kathak dancing. Aesthetically, a true 'amad' always appears as a tribute to the 'sum'. A 'thaat' is danced in slow speed. The How of 'laya' here is evenly spread throughout the timing­cycle: it may. and does. certainly vary in its manner of movement. but (excluding perhaps the 'sum') it does not show up any particular 'matra' or sub-section of the timing-cycle as more important than the rest. Finally. the stage-space covered in dancing a 'thaat' is very little. An 'amado presents some features which are quite different. It may well begin slowly, but. generally in the second sub-section, it soon quickens itself. the process rising up to a climax in the tinal sub-section. If it is properly danced, it shows up the manner of gaining access to the ·sum· ....... and. therefore. also the latter itself­as aesthetically more important than the other parts of the pattern and the timing-cycle. Here much more ground is covered in all directions than in 'thaat·. And. generally speaking, we may say. that. as contra­distinguished from the thaat'. an 'amad' emphasizes the self-activation of 'taaZ' rather than the subdued processence of 'laya'. the brilliant. inwardly differen­tiated. successive and diverse aspects. rather than the self-possession. of dancing.

(c) NIKAS: Quite a popular 'nikaas' is the following one:

q"Pf~ ~~ ffiT !q"T ~~ a ~ q.~ q" ~ q.~ 1 (A) 8

q"T q-{ ~~mr 14 (C) I 6 (D) 9

(F) 8

10/ late Hanuman Prasadji 0/ Jaipur Gharana.

50

q"~~ . -

14 (E) Iii

The tirst ~ begins. at the 'sum'. C and D are danced by employmg a spiral turn of the waist sUlfg tiv 1 a 'meend', because of which the entire pattern ~ caiW '.meend ka nikaas'; and at the tinal mr a s~ll PGIe

IS struck at the 8th mat'ra" leaVing the gap from tLe 9th to the 1st matra or the sum' to be filled up by the imagination of the audience.

Here. the following remarks appear necessary. First, the truly appreciative enjoyment of a 'ni£aa,'

consists essentially in the ability of the onlooker to complete ideally the timing-gap between the moment­deliberately made distinctive by reinforcing the final ft ,",ith a gentle bu~ distinctive turn of the neck by tLe dancer. and, what is more. with a very sharp ~ on 'tLe left one' by the tabla player-at which tht:: dancer stopa short. and the focal point of the timing-cycle or tLe 'sum'. so that. as a matter of concrete experience, cia. full throb of delight comes only when the latter,. ..... to come or emerge. From the viewpoint of rhythm. It appears safe to detine 'nikaas' as a pattern. the 'amad' of which is supplied by the onlooker's imagination, the gap covered here being distinctly longer than in tLe case ·of a pattern of 'anaagat' variety.

ELEMENT OF IMAGINATION:_ That ima­gination. which experiences what (or as) tLe eye and the ear do not. plays a very vital part in the enjoyment of a Kathak recital. can hardly be over­stressed. and yet this is precisely what is so o&. ignored by the interpreters of Kathak dance. The pIa, of imagination. while enjoying a Kathak recital. I repeat. consists to a very great extent in appreciatinlf Ib rhythmic variety and charm. Even the very basic 'bo' .. of dance are required to be taken as what they actuall, are not if danced, imagination thus being allowed. 01'

rather expected, to play freely from the very outset. Dancing the basic 'boZs': aT q.~ .rt mr, the feet can certainly appear to emulate the sharpness of 81' and ~ but how can they in any way reproduce tLe measure of continuity which the articulation of ~ essentially involves 7 The feet_not the upper parts 01 the body which may well suggest continuity throuth Howing movements such as 'kasak' and 'masak'-are absolutely incapable of reproducing continuity, U

opposed to sharpness, discreteness and succession of 'boZs'. Such 'bois' as ~ are certainly executed. -with a fair faithfulness of euphonic form, if not or euphonic content-by the feet or by the toes, to he precise, but even here the net impression is, one of quick succession, not one of continuity which the last letter demands. The conclusion is, therefore. irreSistible, that the little suggestion of con~nuity anj inclusiveness which ~ as spoken involves, IS expect to be supplied to footwork by the onlooker's imalfinatioD which 'parhant' or the articulation of 'bols' seeica to help in this respect.

The aesthetic fundaments of the temporal ~ of Kathak dance are prOVided not by the cool int .:: which calculates or counts the number of rrudras, of by our imaginative identification with the diveraitJ " . d' .t...! d not dtsruptiDl' matras punctuatIng or IverSIlYln.. ud the How of 'Zaya', and with the continuity and v OdD

movement of 'laya'.

Secondly, it ;s important to see how. during actual dancing, the execution of a 'nikaas' is affected by the 'boZs' played by the accompanist on the tabla. In fact. the latter here provides what the former <:Ioes not-that is, a close tilling of strokes or 'bols'. Thus, when the man doing 'parhant' recites only such 'boZs' as:

m q-{ q.~ ffiT, m q-{ ~ ffiT,

and the danseuse is executing only simple, leisurely 'rounds ', the tabla player diversities the vacant inclusive­ness of the latter by playing a closer array of 'boZs', such as: eTT Cf~en>rr fen>rr 'lia, aT ~fa;;rr fa;;rr cpij'

or even the more compact succession of the following strokes:

tn Cf~ fen>rr ~ f~1'fi, q"iTfae f'liG <.i'fi f~ f<f~A q"~T The aim of aesthetic creativity is here obvious_ illustrating the ever-limited grasp of the 'matras' by highlighting the unused space of time or ' laya' left by them. through an interjection of 'bois' into it.

Even like the tabla playing, the bodily movements of the dancer try to reinforce. by imitating or just suggesting, the euphonic manner and content of the articulation of 'boZs' or 'parhant' which accompanies the dancing. There are many effects which mere footwork can never accomplish_such as the amplitude, depth or elongated and tremulous quality of 'boZs'. And so here we have to fall back upon the suggestive quality of the movements of the upper part of the body. To me it appears generally true to say that. whereas the footwork is intended mainly (not entirely) to mark. or copy. the intervals of time between the accents of a pattern recited. the movements of the upper part of the body try essentially to capture. by just suggesting. the sound-effects of the 'bols'. To take an instance. the 'boZs' f'Jflf6 and n in 'parhant' have two main ellects,_th~ suggesti~n of sound as emanating or diversifying itself from a common centre. as in the pronouncing of ~ and ~ and the temporal closeness of Cf and ~ the former merging itself quickly into the latter. The one is the euphonic content. and the other the temporal form, of the 'boZs'. In dancing them, the footwork imitates the latter. and the 'ang' or general bodily bearing suggests the former through a wavy Hourish of the palms crossing each other over the head.

Again. the 'bol' ~ has a weighty. elongated quality which footwork cannot suggest. and which is, therefore. sought to be conveyed through a movement of the arms which suggests inclusiveness and continuity. Of course. here the feet too have to be emphatic in their strokes. The dancing of the following 'paran', a composition of the late Nrittyacharya Narayana Prasad of Jaipur 'gharana', illustrates the points discussed above:

'lfif~ ia f<fe f<fe r' (A) 4

iJf~tA" 'fllT fae 13 (0) 16

S (8) 9

~ ~ GRTcrcr, eTCf'a'lm eTd d 'I '$j d 1 q'T r (E) 8 9 (F) 16

~~ <fa- <f~;;r ~ ~ S (H) i2

(C) 12

'fi~ld'fitfl (G) "

f'Jf¢~ <fT'f tf'T aT, ~T f~ <fA <fT 13 (I) 16t It (J) 4 5 (K) 9

f~ f'liCcf'fi' f'Jf~f<ff'liG<fA<fT m, WRfT 13 (L) 16 1 (M) 4. St (N) 8

f'liG<fRtfr.rerr f~ f'liCcf'fi' f'Jf¢~ <fAtf'T 9 (0) 13 1 (P) 4 S

q"T, !q"<fdT f'lie<fT'f <fTiI tf'T (Q) 8t

9t (R) 12 13 (S)

An analysis of the above pattern should bear out many of the general remarks made by me earlier with regard to the aesthetic, grammatical and psychological nature of 'layakaari' in Kathak dance. The various pieces above indicate the temporal length of the different sub-sections of the pattern in terms of 'matras '. Thus, the tirst sub-section A begins at the tirst 'matra' or the 'sum' and ends at the close of the fourth 'matra'. There is, however. no pause between the last 'bol' of this section and the initial • bol' of the following one. that is. B. Gaps. in the sense of absence of 'boZs', (though 'laya' as lapse of time is obviously present all along) OCcur only between I & J. K & L. M & N. 0 & p, Q &R. 1£ I now read the pattern according to the indications given above, the movement is as follows. From A upto the beginning of I. the How of ' laya' is almost wholly even. and so easy to follow. If there is anything striking here. it is only the euphonic charm of the 'boZs', not the temporal manner in which they move. And yet. even from the viewpoint of the latter, there are certain details which deserve notice. and which. though very brief. contribute substantially to one's enjoyment of 'layakaan' or the varying movement of 'laya', and which are absolutely necessary if the 'parhant' is to have its desired aesthetic effect. Thus, the err which comes at the end of C slightly overflows the 12th 'matra' as it ends: and in G. while executing which the dancer too suggests quick succession with footwork. the ~ is to be pro-nounced loosely, so that the "!" appears coming immediately after the q" and not stiffly along with the latter. in which case the relaxed. dancing character of 'parhant' would be impaired. Again, the 'boZs' ~ and ~ in F and H respectively, are to be articulated with their last letters perceptibly elongated: or else, not only the aesthetic design but the temporal accuracy of the pattern will be marred. The really subtle moments of rhythmic manipulation. however. occur only from T onwards. Thus. the entire bunch of 'boZs' encompassed in T is reeled off rapidly. in a rolling manner without a break and also without accentuating any ·bol'. within the time taken up by about 31 matras, ending slightly before the 'sum' which obviously comes at the 1st 'matra'. It is precisely this deliberate ending of the piece a little before the 'sum'. which here provides the real charm of 'layakaari'. The effect is further enhanced by the fact that the following cluster of 'boZs'. I begins slightly after the 'sum', the central point of the intervening gap-that is, the 'sum'-being affirmed only by or in. imagination which at no time forgets the How of 'laya', and not by speech. The ~ (J) commencing shalply and drawing itself out across 21 'mafras' constitutes another accent of grace.

How many 'matras' the el'l:tire pattern. or every sub-section of it occupies-this is the grammatical aspect of the matter. The psycho-aesthetic aspect consists in

51

the mind's imaginative experience of how, across the background of the continual How of 'Zaya' as marked by the'thekaa' or the playing of the basic timing-cycle, the pattern-as recited, played on the tabla or danced­appears Howing with a variform grace of manner, first, evenly for some time, occasionally showing a 'boZ' or two overHowing the ' !natra' which seems to contain it. then quickening itself effortlessly into a closer succession of unaccentuated boZs (I), withholding itself daintily fTom an actual contact with the 'sum', resuming again from a little after the latter, the avoidance of the 'sum' on both the sides serving as a delightful experience of what has been called the "wanton heed and giddy cunning' of musical creativity, and highlighting, in the very act of excluding it, the 'sum' as a distinct, though imaginatively apprehended, accent. The charm of this varying manner of movement, will be wholly lost on a man who is not able to hold on to the 'thekaa' in the midst of all this patterning, In 'Zayakaari', as perhap nowhere else, bereft of its ground, a pattern is immediately a maze,

The last 'boZs' of the pattern coming almost immediateZy before or after the 'sum' (mlf) provides us, respectively, with two well-known kinds of rhythmic manipulation,-'anaagat' and 'ateet'. An important question that we have here to face is this: do 'onaagat' and 'ateef' describe only an individual 'boZ' or 'stroke'? My answer is an emphatic 'no' . Certainly, it is only the last 'boZ' which is 'seen' to fall before or after the 'sum', but the reason of its aesthetic appeal is not confined to it. rather, it consists in the entire manner of movement of the preceding 'boZs '. In vocal music, things may be different from what they are in dance, though certainly they are not as different as they appear to be. We should not thinl, that aesthetic effect in the case of the vocalist who emphatically nods his head, either immediately before or after the 'sum', while showing 'Zayakaari', consists merely in the nodding. Taken by itself, the nodding is merely a physical act. Its suggestiveness here is due essentially!/) the fact that it is seen to come before or after the 'sum'. The layman does not perceive this relation, and so remains wholly unaffected-in fact, he is only amused- by the nods.

But even if he were not thus incapable, the listener can hardly be expected to derive real aesthetic enjoy­ment out of such exhibitions of 'ateet' and 'anaagat' by the classical vocalist who, forgetting that its aesthetic suggestiveness is rooted essentially in the How of 'Zaya' which contains and animates it, fails to preface it with a systematic movement of 'Zaya', so that the 'matra' appears to degenerate into a mere isolated stroke. Merely stopping this side, or landing that side of the 'sum' is only to be able to time the stroke correctly; it does not be(;ome an aesthetic act unless it is done according to a design. The Kathak dancer knows this well. I quote the following pattern to serve all an illustration of the true 'anaagat' variety:

'Sf H1lT~ 'fT<f~1fT f'f~fot;clfT 'f~;;;r f~c~!:fT ~1fT 1fT 'fT ~~ 1 5 8

(1m ~~ ~~ f'tic ~ m~;r tifT!:fTtifT 11 13 16t

This is a pattern which requires very rapid

52

utterance, with hardly any breathing time between of inner accents. The division of the pattern ::: separate sub-sections, with their length in tenns r matras indicated below each, has been done only ~ facilitate 'parhant'; it does not mean any real lap anywhere. The opening 'fT begins before the 'auna' whi~h falls at ."' in the 'fT"~'fr; the ~ • commg as a tmy spurt after the slightly lengthened 'f~;;;r, and followed immediately by <f~!:fT Provide. a really delightful ' boZ' or turn; and, proceedin, electrically, the pattern ends a little before the 'suna', Analysis reveals that the distinctive effect of the &rat f.f;~~ is due to the fact that it is sandwiched between 'f~.;;;r on the side and a very close array 01 'boZs' on the other side : 'f~r!:fT 'fr f~~ so that. in the limited time granted to it, it has to assert itself­and, as it appears, to keep the two sides apart--witL the quickness of a Hash the movement of its 10und

assuming the following manner: The three 'kittaks' which follow later in this pattern

do not have this effect, because they are not followed by such a compact filling of 'boZs', As regards 'parhant', the 'boZs' here differ not only in their euphonic content. but in the varying accent that they receive, Thaa. whereas the first 'fT is accentuated, the followm, f~m is spoken in an evenly relaxed manner, the stress returning slightly again in the ... of ~!:fT.

Accent in speech is 'laya' as determining the Bow of sound and making it significant; and the 'par""" of the rhythmic patterns is a remarkably succeulal attempt to create beauty out of this one element 01 speech, leavin g aside the latter's thought-conteat altogether, though the contribution made by the sound 01 'boZs' to the total effect cannot be ignored, But, the more important thing to note here is the fact that the pattern in question has a distinct design-it bemt clearly manifest in its sequence of 'dhaas', first ODe,

then two, and finally three; and that its entire &ow moves so breathlessly, and with such a coercivenello that, as the Gestalt psychology of perception would haw it, the mind Hoats naturally and with relish aaG" the little gap between where the pattern ends and the closely following 'sum',

An 'ateet' pattern deviating from the 'sum'_in tLII case, overHowing the latter-in a similarly well desiped manner is as follows:

'if1f~~ J;ffir~

~ ~<: (I<ti ?ff~ ~ ?ff<: ~~ ?ff<: ~ 'f~ ~~ ~ I - . .. .. .. '" 8 9 ' ''1l

'fll'fcg <1T~fuG 'ff~m'f ~~ M~ ~T .. IS 2 3 10

'ff'fnr'f 'ffcrf.T'f erferfif''f ~T'fr f'fl1H 'fC'ffOR 'ff~ me 11 2 3

~~ ?ff<: cr~ ¥:Tn: ~~ ¥:ff~ ~~ ¥:ff<: ~ 'f~tlf ~ tif~ 13 .... .... ..:I ~ ~ .. 4 5 · .. 10

'f+IT'R' ;rTii"fuc: 'ff'ffif'f 'ff~ ~f~fr,;r mtrT i1 14 IS 6 ~.-. 'fll'ffif., ~f'ffOR'ff~fif'f ~T!:fT 'ff~flr., 'ff'fflr;r 'ff'q ." ... a'''' 7 14 's , ~~, 'in: ~~ ... ?ff<: "i"!:.?fn: "!:.~" ¥:Tf~ ~~ ... ~~if ~ tf~ 9 16 I

'flffCJ;c <1Tiffuc: 'ff'f11R" 'ff'fm'f 'ff'fflr'f ~f1fr l' 10 II 2

That the euphonic quality of 'boZs' and the order in which they are disposed contribute vitally to the net effect of the total How is borne out clearly by the following pattern in which the first and third sub-sections, repeated twice later, present a distinct designing of 'boZs', suggesting 'sawaaZ'-'javaab', as the Kathaks would say:

mOR fif'f~r 'ffOR fif'f fOR m'f'f m~ ~+IT'R' ~f~ I 4 S 8

f~~GCTlfi ~~tif 'ff'f~ ~~tl1 <f?~ ~~ aT ~~ ~T ~ I 12 13 IS

~~ q-{ ~T q-{ ~T ~ 'f~ q-{ m ~~ m ~~ 16 2 3 S

mOR flf'f!:fT ~rfif'f fif'f flr<f ~~f~ ~f'f'f 'f11fct;c ~f'f'f .. 7 W II U

f~~ ~~tif 'f'fTf~ ~~tlf ~~ ~~ m ~~ ~T q-{ IS 2 3 S

"'~~ q-{ m ~ (Ii' q-{ 'f~~ q-{ m ~ m q-{ 6 0 9 11

~ fif., 'fT 'fm'f fif., m'f ~f'f;r m~ 'f~ ~f~ 13 16 I '" 4 ff.J(F'flc::a'fl elffiif ",~1f~ 'fffilf 'f~ ~ m ~ m ~

8 9 11

't~~ ~~ aT ~~ m ~~ 12 14 IS

In the end, I may be allowed to cite a pattern which is to be danced in vilambit 'laya', and which, besides illustrating how 'boZs' may be interjected as tiny tufts of sparkling accents either between the successive 'matras' or across anyone of them, lends itself to some linear representation-which, as many Kathaks and tabla players confirm. constitutes the faint, yet necessary, psychological basis of aesthetic creativity, during 'parhant' or playing out of patterns-and suggests a truth of profound theoretical importance with regard to our system of rhythmic manipulation. (Fig. A).

The figure below aims at indicating the varying How of layu-sometimes relaxed and easy-paced, and sometimes moving very fast. The change in manner is indicated by the number of 'bols' which the particular section of the 'thekaa' embraces, more 'boZs' suggesting a compact filling in leisure time, and more Huent 'parhant', and quicker d ancing. The dotted lines represent the quiet How of 'Zayo'-that is, without 'bols', The pattern begins a little before the 'sum' with er<f~!:fT, in which it is really the 'f which falls emphatically at the 'sum', Relaxed or closer CUTVes (of continuous lines) suggest respectively similar character of the How of 'boZs', The most stretched-out articulation runs in the case of or or, 'fT which traverses almost two 'matras' and the longest spell of quick 'parhant' is demanded by the closing 'tiyaa'.

Theoretically, the important thing to note here is this, The 'tiyaa' or the division of 'Zaya' into three equal sub-sections-with which the pattern ends, proceeds breathlessly 'bedam', and, if correctly articulated, ends at the outer edge or the 'sum', as it were, The suggestion may appear, but is not, fantastic. Being in 'taaZ', like being in 'svara', does permit of qualitative distinctions, Two men may both be 'in svara', and yet one may be more 'in svara'-more fineZy musical-than the other, Even so, two strokes on the tabla may both be on the 'sum' in the settinll of their respective 'thekaas', and yet one may be more at the centre of the 'sum' itself than the other. Or else, why is it that the sharp Ifi in c1hamaar, appears more deli ghtful as 'sum' that the 'sum' of any other 'thekaa'? The lesser the time which the utterance of a 'boZ' occupies, the more centrally does it pierce the core of the 'matra', In a way, 'layakaari' is the aesthetic demonstration of the infinite divsibility of time.

10 It II i3 \4 lS If. t , CJ coo c::so • -== :J:::; =!s r' '\:jr'----" &0,4\ A~l\;A4\:SC 0c::'""o 0 "'d ( < .... -' C> ~ ~u V U 4Qi U e

~ '-IT ~~~ ffiffi~ffi <IT -- ffi - '1fT ~ tli!~f<t%i1if.~ ~~~~ ~~iI~Mt4I~

Fig, A

53

2. Raslila-An Operatic Drama

by S. Awasthi

Raslila of the Brajbhumi is the most ancient and most developed folk drama. It is also the most represen­tative of the folk dramatic art. its conventions and presentational methods. It has a continuous. unbroken tradition of more than 400 years. Its various components. the spoken word material. music and dance. as well as its presentational devices. are so traditionalized and stylized that. in spite of new inHuences and importation of new material. in the form of prose dialogues on contemporary themes. songs composed in new metres of folk as well as modern variety. this form of operatic drama has survived in its original character and retains its thentrical vitality as well as its ritualistic character.

Today. Raslila. even in its decadent form. provides theatrical enjoyment and religious experience to vast audiences in whole of Northern India and in many parts of Southern India as well. The Krishna legends. presented in these lilas and their spoken word material drawn from the rich heritage of medieval Vaishnava poetry. is an integral part of the Indian literary culture. and these Raslilas awaken histrionic sensibilities. provid­ing aesthetic enjoyment to the audiences belonging to different geographical areas and language groups.

ORlGIN

This temple opera seems to have evolved out of the great tradition of recitation of the lila-kavya much before the advent of the great religious poets of the medieval period. who produced a literature of lyrical songs singing the episodes of the life of Krishna. This tradition of recitation reaches a culminating point in poet Jayadeva in the 12th century; and it is manifested later in the devotional songs of Chandidas and Vidyapati; and it embraces the whole of Northern India with regional variations in poetic and musical content.

The tradition of recitation got new impetus in the hands of the Vaishnava reformers and poets of the Vaishnava cult in the 16th century. The rise of magni­ficent temples. during the 16th and 17th centuries helped the growth and consolidation of this dance-drama by providing an arena for its performances. It was the temple culture that enriched the dramatic elements of the Raslilas and gave them the gaiety of religious ceremonial. And for the last 400 years. the temple was the theatre-hall of the Raslilas. imparting theatrical

virtues to it.

The stirring devotional music. the impressive architectural background. the simplicity and conviction in delivery. the element of devotion to awaken the

54

sensibilities of the spectators are the unique contribution of this form of drama. which was born in. and grew round the temple. And now when. after residing for several centuries in the temple. it has left its original home and is wandering about in the streets. it still preserves those elements cultivated in the temple.

HISTORY

There is complete lack of authentic documentary evidence to determine the origin of the Raslila. There is, (\n the one hand. the assertion that the medieval Raslilas are related by an unbroken tradition with some of the ancient dramatic forms mentioned in the Natya Shastra and other dramaturgic works. On the other hand. its efBorescence in the 16th century makes some believe that its history should not be carried beyond the 16th century. The material. however. for a scientific investi­gation of these two opinions is so meagre and unauthentic that it is difficult to rebuild its history with any kind of certainty. This situation is complicated by the fact that the origin and growth of the lila-natakas is shrouded by many legendary anecdotes.

The only written document is 'Ras-Sarvasva' by Shri Radha Krishna. which gives some facts about early history of Raslila. On the basis of this book and other secondary material we can say that the present dramatic and presentational form of the Raslilas was created in the 16th century; and that the most valuable contri­bution in the development of this form is that of Swami Hari Das and Shri Narayan Bhatta. The third important name in the history of Raslila is that of Shri Ghamand Dev. who was a great organiser of R aslilas. These religious reformers and poets accepted the dramatic form as an effective medium for a deeper religious experience of their teachings and organised 'RasasthaI' and 'RasmandaI'-arenas for Ras performances-in the whole

of Braj area.

LINKS WITH THE ANCIENT FORMS

Ras. Rasak. Natya Rasak. Hallisak. Charchari, Sangeetak. Geyarupak. Satak or Sattak are some of the terms denoting dramatic dances and ballad-operas, mentioned in the Natya Shastras, Harivansh-purana, Kavyanushasan, Kamasutra and many other dramaturgic and literary works. The characteristics of these indicate that they are all a variant of some kind of musical and operatic drama; and in their formative character. they all belong to one c.ommon genre. The three component parts of all these varieties are Kavya, Sangeet and Abhinaya; and they seem to be a sort of popular

theatrical entertainment in which singing and dancing and highly stylised and choreographic acting played a dominant role. It would be interesting to note that some of the elements of most of these ancient forms of musical drama are still found in some form or the other in the present day RasliIas and other musical dramas of secular variety.

The Rasak has been included in the secondary forms (uprupak) in the Natya Shastra and had three dance varieties-T alrasak Dandrasak and Mandalrasak. In course of time. Mandal-Rasak became more popular. as it was discovered to have greater theatrical potentia­lilies; and it is this dance variety that is predominantly employed in present day Raslila performances. though there are elements from all the three varieties. Similarly. if we compare the Raslilas with the Hallisak Sangeetak Geyarupak and Natya Rasak we find that the elements of music. dance and pantomimic acting are common; Hallisak dance is especially considered the precursor of the Ras dance. So. in spite of the lack of proper historical evidence. we can safely conclude that there has been a tradition. with periodical gaps. of this variety of musical drama for more than 2000 years. DANCE CONTENT

The dance content of the Raslilas falls into two categories: one. the stylised and traditional variety practised in the 'NUyaras'. the prologue of the Rashla; and the other. simple mimetic dance borrowed from the folk tradition and other sources of dance art and practised in the main Lila. The role of dance in the dramatic scheme of Raslilas is decorative in the 'Nityaras', and functional in the Lila. While the one is still technically elaborate and complicated dance. the other is simple with limited movements and expressive gesticulation.

The present formalized style of dancing practised in the NUyaras has an elaborate codified system of com­positions and movements of the dramatic characters in the acting area or Rasmandal and of rhythmic patterns and Gat-bhava. The general rules and practices in rendering the dance sequences also indicate the combinations of the drama tis personae. while presenting a particular sequence. In these dance sequences Krishna. Radha and Gopis stand in various compositions and groupings. hand in hand. or with Radha and Krishna with their hands around each other's neck (Galbahiyan). and moving in circles and semicircles; standing apart in striking poses; intermingling; throwing their hands in the air with tIle beats of their feet; or presenting whirls (Bhramaries) in lightning speed; or displaying jumps and slow and magnificent gait. with the move­ments of the eye-brow and the neck.

Some of the Parmul (bol-patterns) of the dances of Krishna and Radha as well as the group dancing of all the characters in the Raslilas. are given below for a technical understanding of the rhythmic patterns of the dance:

A 'Parmul' of Krishna's dance:-Tikat tikat dhilang, dhiktak rodeem dhilang, takto. T a dhilang , dhig dhi lang , dhiktak, todeem todeem,

dhetam dhetam. Dhilang dhilang dhi lang , fuk gadgin thei.

T ata ta ta thei, ta ta ta fa thei, ta ta ta ta thei. A 'Parmul' of Radha's dance:_

Tat trang, thun thun to, dhiktoo trang, thun thun to. T a tllUn thun, dhik thun thun, dhik tak, thung thung tak . Thung thung tak, thung thung i'hung tak gadgin thei. T a ta ta ta thei, ta ta ta ta thei, ta ta ta ta thei.

A 'ParmuI' of Sakhi's dance:_ T attuk dam, dhirkit tak, tirkU, nagam nag am, too too

tran to. Ta tring, ta ta tring, tafthugam thug am, tatthugam

thug am, thug am, thugam thug am tak, gadgin t1hei. T a ta ta thei, ta ta ta ta thei, ta ta ta thei.

A 'Parmul' of Group dance by all the characters:_ Thei thei thei thei thei, tatta theyi thei. Theyi theyi theyi theyi theyi thei thei tao RESEMBLANCE WITH THE KATHAK

There is no sufficient historical evidence to deter­mine a link of artistic relationship between the Raslila dancing and the Kathak style of dance; and it is all the more difficult to say which style has borrowed from which. However. there are some basic facts which prove and show many points of resemblance between the two styles of dancing. In the portrayal of emotions and situations. and in the general mode of story telling by a vivid pantomimic gesture language. the two styles have a common charactP\'. Apart from the gestures, in the movements. turns. I auses and groupings of the characters in Raslilas during the dance and pantomime for depiction of the episodes. we find resemblances.

The main reason for these resemblances is obviously the common thematic material-the Krishna lore. which demands the portrayal and expression of similar senti­ments and situations from both these dance styles. So. the dance-creators. both the Lila type and the Kathak. conceived similar dance gestures and movements in their imaginative visualisations of the Krishna legend. Some of the main 'gats'-the 'murali gat' and the 'pang hat gat'_are common to both. Similarly, some of the 'Kavitta bois' and 'Natvari bois' are also common. 'Ta thei thei tat', the root-words (bi;-akshar) of Kathak dance have been referred to by the Vaishnava poets in their Kirtan songs.

The probable reason for the artistic similarities and resemblances between these two styles of dancing is that both of them have developed in the accompaniment of the kirtan, dhrupad and other variaties of dance­songs. The kirtan songs composed by the Vaishnava poets abundantly display dance motifs and specific gestures and movements. Most of these kirtans and padas were actually dance-songs written by the poets and music composers. intended to be sung and interpreted through dance and 'abhinaya' simultaneously. This becomes clear by the peculiarity of these kirtan songs that the 'boZs' of mridang and conventional words of the dance, known as 'tatakar' are inserted in the very text of the compositions. The joint art activity of singing and dancing is the special feature of the whole ritualistic ~eremonies of the Vaishnava cult.

Surdas in one of his padas points out this essential relationship and the joint art activity of dancing and singing:

'Nritya karat ughatat sangeet pad'

55

Some excerpts from the ras-padas are given below to show the insertion of bols in the padas:

" Ras menrityat ri rasbhine. thunkat thun thunkat apat jhapat jhat, jhran jhran jhrakatat jhine." "Shri Haripriya bhidi bili jhin, na na na na na na na na kine." "Lal-sang ras-ras let man rasik ravani, gragrata, gragrata, tat tat tat theyi thei, gaU line." "nacTtat Lal gopal ras men sakal braj-badhu sange, gidigidi tat thug tat thug thei thei bhamini-rati ras

" sange.

If we scrutinize the literature of ras-padas written by score of Vaishnava poets. we find many technical terms and expressions in the padas which indicate many points about the character of the ras dance. The word 'mandaI' which occurs so often indicates the circular movements in the dance. There are terms like urap, firap, lag-dat, horha-horhi, hastak-bhed, mandhas, bhru-vilas, galbahiyan, bahanjori, padpatak, kartari, phanda---which indicate some of the basic features and elements of Raslila dance. Some of the lines from various ras-padas are quoted below to show the technical import of these terms in their proper context:

'horha horhi nritya karen, rijhi rijhi ank bharen, ta ta thei thei.'

'bhaunh mor.:lni, nain pherani hastakni gati chhavi. 'gati sudhang nrityati braj nari, hav bhav nainani sainani dai, rijhavati girivar

dhari.' pag-pag pataki bhujani latakavati, phanda karani anup.' ('phanda' seems to be a popular equivalent for the classical technical term,'pindi'. This term denotes a special feature of the ras dance-the formation or circles and semi-circles by holding one another's hands. at the end of a "charan" or pad). 'nirtat mandaI maddha Nandlal. urup tirap tan let nat nagar gandharva guni rasal.' 'taisiya mridu pad-patakani, chatakani kartaran ki. har har men urajhi, urajhi bahiyan men bahiyan. 'urap lirap lag dat fat-tat-tat thei-tathei-thei. 'let gati man tatathei hastak-bhed sarigamapadhani ye sapta sur nandini.' 'mandhas. bhruvilas, ras-Ias, sukhnivas.'

DANCE IN LILA PROPER

While the dancing in the 'Nityaras' part of the [ila-natak has a classical and technical character, the dancing in the lila proper is very simple-sometimes very near the ordinary gesticulation of daily life, borrowing mostly from the foIl, dances of several varieties. specially the dance accompanying the 'Rasika' songs of the Braj area. The gat or the gestural scheme takes fragmentary lines of song and with simple movements of hands and eyes, conveys the underlying emotions of the words. There are not many variations of combinations and patterns of dance. Simple dance sequence; , however, are punctuated by dramatic sits. rises, jumps and circular movements in rising tempo.

The prim any 'hastak' or the postures as used in

66

the Kathak dancmg are also prevalent in the Raahl The most common 'hastak' is the one hand held ova;; the head, the other extended in front. forming a right angle, bisecting the line of the head. These ha.ta£. have a significant dramatic function in the lila-natalc. as they punctuate the dance sequences and register a dramatic situation in all pictorically effective manner. They also provide relief both to the dancer. as well as the audiences. Together with the practice of 'hastak', the dancers often present the two basic bod, movements-the whirl (Bhraman) and the sudden halt, in the manner of the Kathak dance.

The dramatic function of the dances in the hla proper, is only secondary-supplementing the text_by interpreting its meaning and intenSifying the mood and the emotions of the story. There are. however, short sequences of dancing which have purely decorative character and are meant to give relief to the chorus, singing the dramatic text. This pantomimic dandng in the lila proper is gradually decaying and losing gestural expressiveness for want of sufficient training and leneral artistic and aesthetic background of the artists.

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE The dramatic structure of the Raslila has three

main parts: the 'Nitya-ras' the Sangeet and the lJla proper. In the first part of the Raslila, Krishna and Radha are seated on the Singhasan built on a simple platform; and chorus presents a 'manglacharan.' After the 'manglacharan' the chorus sings a number of devo­tional songs drawn from the devotional poetic literature of all periods. Gopis perform 'arti, , and invite Radha to come to Ras-mandaI. The Gopis take their place. and Krishna stands and requests Radha to join him in the Ras performance. Radha agrees. Krishna and Radha then come and stand in the main acting area with the Gopis; the chorus starts singing and the dance berrina. There is an elaborate procedure of the grouping of characters and their dance is the prologue of the Lila-natak.

After the completion of this first part, the "Nilya­ras', the second part, the 'Sangeet' starts. In this part of the Lila-nataJ(, Krishna himself or a Gopi stands in the acting area and gives a discourse in prose as well as vene compositions on the glory of 'bTlakfi', 'upasana', 'karma' or any other serious philosophical theme. After the discourse, the chorus presents devotional sonls, which are often not directly related with the Lila to be enacted or even with the Krishna legends. This part of the ul .. natak. however. creates a suitable atmosphere for the operatic drama and prepares the audience for a deep theatrical experience.

The third part of the Ras-lila is the Lila proper. which is based on some episode of the life of KrI.hna. This part of the Lila is so well structured that ea~ entry and exit of the characters and the deliverY BIlCI

exchange of verse dialogues and short dance sequenh' are all dramatically significant and contrihute to t e

building of the play-structure. The allocation of the dramatic dialogues to vartCMD

characters and the narrative portions to the c:honu It so cleverly planned that there is a continUOU. moYCdterf

in the story with proper dramatic stresses and pauses. T here is yet a very interesting point about this propor­tionate division of the spoken word material among the characters . that the many verses and songs that do not seem to belong to any character or the chorus. gradually assume dramatic specification.

While the padas and songs composed in' several metrica l varieties are musically rich and significant. the styles and laws of their reci tation and delivery are very interesting and dramatically m eaningful. Verse dialogues of the Raslilas are very often repeated by the actor; and there are several variations and combinations and styles of delivery. Sometimes the character speaks the line of a pada and the chorus repeats it ; sometimes a character renders a line in simple reading in the prose style and a lso explains the content in eloquent and verse-like Brajbhasa prose; sometimes. however. this explanation is dropped and the lines are only recited or sung. T hese various styles and patterns of the delivery of d ialogues are followed in accordance with the contex t of the situation and the character of the pada or song delivered. Whatever pattern and style of the delivery of verse dialogue may be adopted by the characters or the chorus of the lila-natak. they show great dramatic po tentialiti es because it is in this character of the delivery o f verse dialogue that the operatic character of the Lila ­natak is strengthened and emotionally enriched.

PRESENTATIONAL TECHNIQUES The stage. which is only a demarcated acting area

on the same level on which the audience take their seats. a nd which has simple structure-a platform (Chauki) with a 's inghasan·. usually built by placing a couple of chairs .is always a simple and informal affair. But it is this theatrelessness of the Raslila that gives rise to some very simple presentational laws and conventions.

There is no attempt to provide a scenic represen­tation of the story situations and actions in the acting area. Thus. there is no attempt at localisation and the 'stage' is left as an uncommitted neutral area which can serve as 'locale' for any dramatic action; and the actors

can freely move from one stage locality to another. from the houses to the bank of Jamuna; from one grove to another or from Gokul to Mathura; and there is no break in the story of the play. The characters. while singing and presenting their dialogues. inform the audience about the change of the locale as weIl as the development in the story of the play. It is because of this non-specific, informal character of the Raslila stage that various phases of action or the story units of the play get related to one another without any damage to the plot-structure and dramatic illusion.

The use of a simple curtain held by two persons, in the manner of Kathakali dance-drama. at several points in the course of the play. has many dramatic functions . It helps in bringing the new characters to the acting area without being seen by the audiences; it is sometimes used for 'setting' a new scene or a 'jhanki', which is a sort of tableau presented at many points in

these Raslila plays.

SERIES OF TABLEAUX The series of tableaux presented in the Raslila

performan ces are the most interesting feature. In many climactic points of the story. these tableaux present the episode in a pictorially effective manner. and indicate stages in the development of the story. It is with the help of these tableaux that the dramatic structure of the Lila-natak is planned in short scenes and suitable units of story material. These tableaux in a Raslila divide and arrange the narrative material of the lila-natak in a dramatically significant way.

T ableaux are the dominant element in the visual pictorial arts of the m edieval period. Painting, theatre, civic a nd royal pageantries, and religious and fes tive proces ions with Roats and pantomimic scenes. all have shown a liking for tableau pictures and made them a basis for artistic treatment of their themes. Raslila has followed this m edieva l art tendency. and has skilfully based its entire dramatic scheme on this artistic convention.

Apart from these full -Hedged tableaux. the Raslila plays abound in eloquent and expressive 'close-ups' of single and double characters. These 'close-ups' of dramatis personae create exquisite and charming stage pictures, very much like the medieval paintings of the Kri shna legend. This relationship between the theatre a nd the art is the most fascinating aspect of the study of this variety of folk drama.

LIAISON WITH THE ART It was b etween the 16th and 19th centuries. when

the artists were painting Krishna episodes in different styles and modes. that the lila-plays were simultaneously emerging in the temples out of the temple dancing and singing of devotional songs with rich musical content. The contemporaneousness of these two artistic torms­the Krishna-Iilas and Krishna-paintings-made their mutual exchange easier and more fruitful.

It is. however, difficult to say who borrowed from whom ; but there is no doubt that there has been a constant and living exchange b etween the two; and. probably, the process of borrowing and giving has alternated during the course of two centuries of their co-existence. Main points of similarity and mutual exchange are: costume; locale; scene composition; pattern of plot-structure and multiplicity of scenes.

The dominant principle of 'vertical projection' in the m edieval painting is reRected in the straight and narrative character of the development of story in these Raslilas. Conventions of Oriental art aIlow simultaneity of scenes. depiction of a series of tableaux or story-incidents within the range of a single painting. And it is this art convention that has greatly shaped and determined the character of Indian folk theatre of all regions and of all types and varieties, especiaIly , the processional and pageantry drama based on the life of Rama and Krishna.

This survey of the most developed folk drama of Northern India clearly indicates the composile 'character of the folk drama. and the various sources from which it borrows its tehcniques and conventions and art material. It is so broad-based and deep-rooted that it presents the entire artistic and cultural life of the people in horizontal and vertical dimensions simuitaneously.

57

3. Kathak Costunle in MughaI Times

by Dr. C. L. Fabri

58

1. Ruler entertained by Dancing Girls. Nurpu r, c. 1765

2. Raja Balwant ~ingh of Jammu being entertained by a Boy Dancer and Mus 'cians. Jammu, c. 1750

3. Mian Brij Raj De u of Jam mu with courtiers and Dancing Girls. Jammu. c. 1775

(Photos by courtesy, Vic toria and Albert Museum, London )

2

Our amateur and professional ballet dancers are so fond of " inventing" ancient costumes, especially pretending to know what "Mughal court da ncers" wore, Ihat any piece of solid evidence, however small. should be welcome. especially if it is quite unexpected.

ow, the miniature reproduced herewith ought to be well enough known. for it is a page from Akbar-nama in the Indian Section, Victoria and Albert Museum. datable to the period 1600 to 1605 (Akbar's death). Nevertheless, to my' knowledge, no one has so far drawn attention to the extraordinary costumes the dancers are wearing. When my friend K. de B. Codrington First gave me thi s series of photographs, almost fifteen years ago. I first thought that the dancers were European: the resemblance to the French LuLu skirts of the ballet dancers is so striki-ng.

However, they cannot be European women, for the luLu was not yet invented ' in 1600: and they are Indian women on every count. The prima ballerina wears a muslin turban , the three members of the corps de ballet who also wear Lulus have less elaborate head-ornaments. but again. not European. They wear pyjamas in the Indian fashion: they have anklebells such as were never worn ·by western dancers: they are dressed in bodices in the Indian fashion ...... the second dancer shows clearly that the choli was ti ed down with a cross-string or ribbon . thus probably leaving a bare back ...... and they are bare­footed : another Indian characteristic. Their hairdress. their personal ornaments . including earrings , armlets and bracelets. all declare them to be Indians: and even the mudra of the first lady dancer, signifying "I salute you!" is purely Indian. Even the musical instrument is llS Indian as possible : a mridanga. And all the women. dancing and playing music, have dupattas or orhnis .

emi-transparent head-kerchiefs.

The face and attitudes of the spectators are worth noticing. Akbar looks · down indulgently at this old spectacle. From his cushioned seat on a verandah: but all the ladies of the court are truly shocked: a great deal of whispering and scandalized turning away goes on: an attendant in front has to calm the noisy remarks of I·he women: whilst one lady in the lovely C entral Asian d,ess . vigorously counts her beads, half hiding her face with her long sleeves. In the background another attendant. it appears, discourages a peeping female from entering. The horror and disgust of the harem cannot

be mistaken.

The skirt that the dancing women are wearing over the pyjamas reaches not quite to the knees, and consists of three short and evidently very stiFF skirts, gathered in plisse folds, and each protruding further than the one above. The similarity to the structure of the Lutu is surprising in the extreme. This is exactly how the lutu is built up. The material. however, is quite diFFerent f(\lm the tutu's . It is solid, coloured and patterned with horizontal stripes, giving the fals e impression that there

60

are more than three skirts, one over the other. (S ee Fig. 4, on p. 21. Marg, Vol. VII, No.1).

As the original is 100 small. I have made as exact i'I copy as I could. (See Fig. 2).

Fig. 1 is a carefully made copy from a miniature published in the Art of India and Pakistan by Condrington , Irwin Gray (Faber & Faber, 1950) Plate 88. This is a Rajas thani miniature illustrating the Raja Megha. and Basil Gray dates it between 1610 and 1620. The ma le dancer wears a skirt. in every respect similar 10 those shown in the Akbar-nama. Here too the skirl does not reach down to the knee and consists of three superimposed pieces, each smaller than the one below, from some stiff material in various colours: in brief, the complete LuLu. The dancer wears a pair of white tight pyjamas and he too has ghunghurus or anklebells, ilS also the Roating scarf thrown across the shoulders.

It is interesting to note that both in the Akbar miniature and in this Rajashtani picture, the mridanga player (a girl in both cases) wears a different dress from the rest; a boldly Raring long skirt, almost bell-shaped. The other personages in this latter miniature are all dressed in solid three-piece outfits: choli. ghagra and dupatLa. and they play the Rute, the cymbals and a

sIring instrument.

How is it possible, one may well ask, that this remarkable tutu-shaped ballet skirt occurs so rarely. and seems to have disappeared soon after its first occurrence? Vvhy do we have only a few representations, of which one is from about 1605 a nd the other from, say, 1610', The probable answer is that Jehangir's new fashions gained the upperhand. During this elegant ruler's reign, fashion s changed rapidly at the court: and when, early in his reign, completely transparent skirts were intro­duced, under which the boldly coloured pyjamas could be seen , most of the young people took to it. You can see the young J ehangir surrounded by attendants in Plate 131 in The Art of India and Pakistan, most of Ihe courtiers, male and female, having taken to the novel mode du jour. However. it did not last long.

That the dancers would take to the last "craze", seems likely. In . any case. when the darbaris and the umara have all adopted, later, once again solid brocade and happy opaque materi a l, it appears that the dancers continued to wear transparent skirts and under them bold red, green pyjamas. Thus, in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, dancers and performers of ragas are often seen in thi s special dress : while all others wead heavy materials , the dancers sport the light silks an

muslins over their hose.

As late as 1750 we see this dress in Lady Rothenstein's miniature. reproduced in the Fab;r Gallery, Rajput Painting (Basil Gray), in Plat~ • Krishna, Radha. Brahma. hiva . all the earthly kmgs

and all the music-making girls. wear solid dresses: only the two dancers go through th,eir sreps with. completely transparent skirts. through which their tights can be seen in brilliant red and green.

These representations. of course. are well known. from many ragas and nayika pictures: but the staggered ballet skirt of Akbar's last years. between 1600 and 1610 perhap~. is worth nothing as an oddity. not entirely restricted. it seems, to the Mughal court but known in Rajasthan too.

There is, however, one final and welcome .piece of evidence, the date of which, I believe, bears out the suggestion that early in Jehangir's reign the multiple skirt of the ballet dancer gave way to the more f&shionable musin Oimsiness and the churidar pyjama. This comes in a leaf of the Rasikapriya published by Coomaraswamy in the Metropolitan Museum Studies, Vol. III, PI. 1 (1930) under the title "Two Leaves from a Seventeenth-century Manuscript of the Rasikapriya". Fig. 3. Here, under the caption Lilabhavalakshanam ('The Lover's Dramatic Behaviour' is Coomaraswamy's translation), Krishna, the Eternal Lover, appears with his friends in front of the lady's house, and to the accompaniment of a mridanga drum and cymbals, he, and a friend of his, perform a ballet act. Krishna is dressed in an akbari ballet skirt-this time only two of them, not three-made of gathered, plisse cloth ' and Oaring out boldly. one farther than the other, reaching several inches above the knee: underneath, he wears a light-coloured pair of tights. But his friend, interestingly enough, has taken to the newer fashion: he wears an absolutely transparent muslin skirt, under which he sports brave-coloured churidar pyjamas. Now the point to observe in this (see Fig. 5, on p. 22, Marg, Vol. VII No.1) is that the friend is not one of your slightly clad, happy-go-lucky cowherds. He is as smart as the latest news from the court at Agra or Delhi, with a fashionable turban, elegant, longsleeved coat buttoned across the shoulder, and a sash in the latest mode, with embroidered edges: in fact, he even has the row of frills on the left side, under the armpit, that was the dernier cri in the 1610-1620 period.

Coomaraswamy dated, in 1930, this set of leaves "a little before or after A.D. 1060". I do not think anyone today would give it so early a date, neither would anyone consider the Rasikapriya illustrations "simply Mughal". as he suggested then. As Basil Gray points out in a brilliant article in Marg VI, 3 pp. 18FF., the question of the interplay of Mughal and Rajput painting is not an easy one, and I now feel it is far more difficult to separate these mutual inOuences than we once fondly thought. But perhaps it is fair to suggest that Coomaraswamy's Rasikapriya is Rajput work with a very strong inOuence from the Mogul Court, and that its date is nearer 1620 than 1610. In that case this charming miniature in which Krishna and a very fashionable gentleman friend per.form their antics to excite the curiosity of the ladies of the house. in' a kind of serenade at night, fully supports our

con,clusion that the multiple ballet-tutu of Akbar's court ~ent out of fashion soon after Jehangir's accession: it was then replaced by the diaphanous skirt through which the tight trousers could clearly be seen.

This brings me to a very tentative suggestion. I believe one would not be far wrong to say that every time in the 18th century when we meet a picture of a lady with diaphanous skirt, quite transparent, and showing the brightly coloured legging underneath, we have to deal with a lady who belongs to the class of entertainers: a dancer. The lovely lady with the hawk the frontispiece of Mr. W. G. Archer's Indian Painting in the Punjab Hills, or the boy dancer (PI. 2) both wear such diaphanous skirts. No one else does in the 18th century. it seems to me. except dancers.

If this contention. that the staggered tutu-shaped ballet skirt disappeared between 1605 and 1615, is true, a new light may be shed on the dating of Archbishop Laud's miniatures, in the brilliant study by Mr. Stooke and Mr. Khandalavala (The Laud Ragamala Miniatures, Oxford 1953) . Mr. Khandalavala demons­trates with great apparatus that the miniatures are closely related to Deccani miniatures of the 16th century, and he concludes, after careful consideration of all the evidence, that these famous paintings were made approximately in 1625. The evidence is marshalled so well that one hesitates to bring in fresh evidence for a slightly earlier date. I do so fully conscious of the weak­ness of my novel evidence, but dress is always an important help in dating, and it is just possible that these Laud miniatures are ten years older than suggested by tvlr. Khandalavala.

The point is that there are only two dancers in' the series, in Plate I, "Malhar Raga" and in Plate XVII. "Vasanta Ragini"'. Both feature a dancer in a staggered tutu-skirt. of three pieces (as in Akbar's time). As the two are almost entirely identical, I have copied only one, which is seen in my Fig. 3, p . 20. Marg, Vol. VII, No.1 born the Malhar Raga. Two points emerge clearly that no one wears this kind of skirt except a dancer: and that nowwhere in the Laud manuscript is there anyone wearing the diaphanous skirt of Jehangir's early reign.

Now it is quite possible that far down in the Deccan fashions arrived somewhat later: and dancers, ~ho are u wandering tribe of people, must have brought to the courts of Deccan the staggered skirt, and they may not have brought the transparent skirt of later days. If I suggest a date of about 1615, . allowing for some delay in the adoption of Mogul fashions, I do so with great

hesitation.

Whatever be the date of the Laud miniatures, the four examples quoted here, prove that such skirts were restricted to ballet dancers, and that they were wide­spread enough to be known in Agra and Delhi. in Rajasthan and in ' the Deccan.

61

4. Some Songs of Binda' Din Maharaj ~lfn:~-f~

~ ~~ If~'f ~n:T I ~ "fffif -q' ~T ~ lfn:T II IfT~ II 'f~ .~~ 'f~ it ~T~ if IfT<r I

f<R:T ~'fT if' ~if ~lf ~n:T II If~ II Look how he teases me The ever alluring Banwari ! He waylays and hurls abuses at me. The incorrigible mischief maker, He pays no heed to my entreaties. Says Binda, "I know not what to do ?"

~~ :-f'JffiT~.

mif ~ ~ ~~ 'fn:T I or'ttT m~ ~1Jf 'fi'~ lf~ IfRir I If~ ~TfIf'fT ~T ~ ~~ If(fC'HT I ~~a f~n:T qlT q-~T lf~ ~ ~n:T I f<R:T ~ ~T ~"~ a-~T f~<m::T I I

Behold the maidens of Braj Coming with swaying gait As though intoxicated! Mala adorns their necks, BincIi shines on their foreheads, And Kundal dangles on their ears. They come in swaying gait, Revealing their faces Like the flashes of lightning. Having spotted, Behari They fall at his feet And put the"ir arms round him Says Binda, "0 Girdhari, Be meciful to me".

f~.

~ ~1f'fT <r<:'f <iij- iiIl:a;' m>if I If'ifT '9~ Of>ifa ~q- If~lf Gfl<T, ~~ if~~ it \9"T\9" ~T<:i ~>if IT' :l;fT>if I If~ Iff\;f 1f\9" ~T\T >;flj' ~a 'li'fi~T ;fr~ If<:CiT ~T<i If,~ '<f~ m<:T~~:r I fOf;:~T ~ ~<: f\9",fT m~ :l;fT>if I

How can I go to Jamuna to fetch water? Holi is in full swing! Listen to the tumult and deafening sounds of the Mridang

and Dupha. Look, what that darling of Nanda does. He paints the faces of Gop'is with colour, He seizes them and gives them a violent shake And forcibly kisses them Says Binda, "Thus did Shyam set on Sakhis today!"

~T:

~~~T it \9"T\9" ~~ ~T~T ~If If"fRT I 'ifTm 'if~ mr<: 11' \9"TOf 'fiT 1ff~ 'fiR If'ifRT I '3'~ lf~ \9"ffl .;rlfT OfR<: 'if~T :{If 'fir 'liRr, ro~T '";rR f~lf ~ if' m If.~ ~T ~Rr I ~ ;;raif lJi<: ~ ~ ifT~T 'It lJiT<:T ~ lfRT' GfJi>fT ~« if';, m~ ~If'f omr m ~Rr I fOf"~T ~a 'Flf ,,~ ~q'aT ;:rr;:ra 'li~ ~?RT I' Son of Yasoda is engrossed in the riotous play of colour. The lanes are slushy with Chandan and Gulab. The Gulal flying in the atmosphere Has painted the sky red And the patches of clouds above Appear like bags of colour. Daubed are the faces of all With black and white mixed in o'il In vain do they try to wash off the colour And fair faces are dark now. Heaven rejoices, Gods beat the drums rma shower flewer,

62

Says Binda, "Glory be to thee o maidens of Braj, Dancing with Krishna in ecstacy."

~~T ;l-f'!f~.

'fiT~ 'fiT ~t '9<: :l;fT~ ~T Sl'TaIf TT -{if ~m ~lf ~r;f ;f<fT m<fTt I

tflft if ~ ~ ClfTt II 'fiT~ 'fiT II '3'<flJi T it '9<: <:~ T I iiIlCfT ~T GffflT If,'li~ I f.r;:~ ~;fT ~T ~ ;n;l f;;n:rT >ifTt ( mt) 1I'fi~ 'fiT II Why have you come to me now, my love Having spent the night in sport with my rival J No-Do not fall at m y feet for forgiveness Your eyes tainted red-tell a thousand tales. Go back to her and make her happy! Do not talk to me. Says Binda, "I am burning within But he does not heed."

'li \9"T : '" 'li~ U~ ~ f~R II ,.;r~ Iff1Jf ~T:a; ~+<r <:T'G!CT 'liT'fi ~~ 'li'fiR II ~<: 'Cfif lf~ <:N OfT~\9" 'Cf'~ '3'~T i 'Cf'if 'Cf'R I ~ lf~ ~li'Cf ~~ Gf<:~ <:~ 'if~ ;q'R I (')li",~) ~a If'fi~ ~T '3'"a 'ifflflJiT ~a lfm~ '3'a a<r lfR I If'fg '<{if ~ af~a ~ ~~ 'fT'ifiI IfR II olfTlf ~n: lfrfu <:Tf'Cf'fiT ~m~~oRI ~ 'fiT ~T "'IJ;flf f<r":T;;ra \9"ilfT IfTfa<r 'fiR I ( 'li", ~ ) ~f~~~T~ ~ ;;n:r ;;n:r ~R I fOf"~T ~T<r ~ 'liq-T lJi<:T ~ Ift~ ~T lJi<: ~R I (~~\) Behold the happy sight Radha and Krishna are seated on the /hoola, Fastened on bejewelled pillars! Rocked by the gust of gale . The /hoola swings back and forth soaring h'igher and luglaer. Roaring clouds dark and thik Gather above in mighty array And a gentle breeze Floating on its fragrant wings Sprinkles the earth with soothing showers! Matched in contrast Behold the dark and fair Seated together are they-The dark-hued and the moon-faced­Like the clouds and the lightning! And his Mukut ? Is it the peacock dancing at the sight of the clouds J Behold the universe on this swing! Radha, the moon Shining against the dark sky-Krishna! And these shimmering pearls On their garments? Aren' t they the stars? All sing your glory: Brahma, Shiva and sages alike "0 M ercifu/!" Pleads Binda Din, with folded hands "Bestow the bounty of mercy on me!"

Biographies

ACCHAN MAHARA/ The eldest son of Kalka Prasad, Jagannath Maharaj,

popularly known as Acchan M aharaj, was, really speaking, the only one who received knowledge direct from his father as well as from his uncle, Binda Din Maharaj. And when Kalka Prasad and Binda Din died, it was left to Acchan ,Maharaj to train his younger brothers, Lacchu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj . Acchan Maharaj was a master and .there are numerous stories related about his dance and about how he outwitted his rivals in the field. He served for a long time in the State of Raiga.rh and he also had the occasion to serve as the Court dancer in some other States of North India. His body was unwieldy but when he danced he virtually transformed himself and became a model of grace and agility. True to the tradition of his Gharana, he excelled in bhalla, but he was also an exponent of nritta. He died in 1946, and with this the Lucknow Gharana truly lost its foremost representative. He is survived by a son, Birju Maharaj, who has already proved himself to be a very worthy successor.

BELA ARNAB

She belongs to a family of classical musIcIans in Bengal. She has spent several years in learning Kathak. She had her early training under Soh an Lal .and Jai La!. Later, she was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Culture and she had intensive training under Shambhu Maharaj . At present she is a well-known Kathak dancer in Bengal and is teaching the same art at the Bengal Music College, Calcutta.

BIR/U MAHARA/ Popularly known as Birju, Brijmohan Mahar.ai . is the

youngest torch-bearer of the Kalka-Binda Gharana of Lucknow. As a child he was trained by his father Acchan oMaharaj, but the latter died when Birju was only ten and thereafter Birju was trained by his uncles, Lacchu Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj. He is also an expert in the tabla and pakhawaj and, rhythm being in his blood, he is ceaselessly creating new patterns of dance beats. He is a very accomplished 'dancer and he can perform nritta and nritya with equal ease. For the past few years, he has also been trying to compose full-scale ballets in Kathak. He has already produced 'Phag Lila', 'Govardhan Lila', 'Malati-Madhav' and 'Kumara Shambhava' and he himself has danced the principal role in all these ballets. He has given numerous dance performances all over the country and, today, it is almost impossible to think of a music and dance conference without Birju M raj taking part in it. At present he is working as a K teacher at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi. In ry way, Brijmohan Maharaj is a worthy successor to his at father, Acchan Maharaj.

CHIRAN/I LA Chiranji Lal er brother of the late Narayan Prasad

and son of.jifl1if11l~~ sad of J aipur. He was trained in Kathak by his fa'rl~M:I.~tudied for some time under Binda Din Maha ~some time in the States of Udaipur and Raig t~2 years he is in Delhi and teaching Kathak Mahavidyalaya. After the death of hi d, he has taken the responsibility of

o Narayan Prasad's four young sons.

l1 J"jriIJ ;~r:" dancing very early in life. As a . _ ......... _ IL_ by Sitaram Prasad and Madame

ent on a dance tour of Europe . went with her. When she

... --~ and more intensive, training j brothers, Acchan, Lacchu and

arata Nat yam, Kathakali and

Manipuri, from outstanding experts in the a view to understanding the finer . techniques. She began her professional cal,eel~ in f937, and since then there has been nO _ .... " .. /5

has danced in many parts of the world . She of two Indian cultural delegations, one to China, in 1953, and the other to Japan, in 1958. Damayanti Joshi is essentially a purist and loathes glamour and dazzle. She is one of the few dancers who have really understood the finer points of Kathak and a performance by her is invariably marked by a lucid delineation of the many delicate nuances of this art. Having been trained by masters of both Gharanas, she is equally at home in nritta as well as nritya and, as far as the latter is con­cerned; she is one of the very few dancers who can faithfully and vividly portray the Nayak-nayaki bhedas through the medium of Kathak.

GAURISHANKAR Gauri Shankar belongs to Bikaner and he had his early

training in Kathak from his father, Devi Lal, and his uncle, Shiv Lal. Late!:, he also studied under Sunder Prasad. His professional dance career began in 1934, when he danced at the Allahabad Conference. Two years later he joined ,Madame Menaka and accompanied her on a dance tour of Europe. Here, when he danced at the International Dance Olympiad at Ber.lin, he was awarded one of the highest Prizes. The party returned to In~ia in 1938. Gauri Shankar then went to Santiniketan and worked with Gurudev Tagore for a short time. After this he toured the country on his own and gave numerous dance performances. In 1942 he again joined Menaka's troupe, but this was disbanded after a year. Gauri Shankar then opened his own school at Bombay, known as "Pracheen Nritya Niketan". This school is still functioning and has trained over 200 pupils. Gauri Shankar has also composed some ballets in Kathak technique.

GOP! KRISHAN Gopi Krishan belongs to a family of singers and dancers.

He is the son of Sukhdev Misra, of Banaras, who was for a long time a Court musician in Nepal. He has three sisters, Alakhnanda and Sitara, who are dancers, Tara, who is a singer, and two brothers, Pandey and Chaubey, the latter of whom is also a Kathak dancer. Gopi Krishan is now 26 years of age. He came to Bombay as a child and studied in a convent. He finished his schooling in Bombay and then went to Calcutta, where his father gave him intensive training in Kathak. He then returned to Bombay and started his career as a professional dancer. He directed dances in several films and also danced in a number of them. His big break came when he starred and danced in Shanta ram's "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje". This picture rocketed Gopi Krishan to fame. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Gopi Krishan toured all over the country and gave hundreds of dance performances and, through these personal appearances, added immensely to his popularity. Gopi Krishan also studied Kathak from Shambhu Maharaj and Bharata Nat yam from Govindaraj Pillai. Gopi Krishan is an accomplished Kathak dancer, but he does not believe in blindly following any tradition. He has, therefore, introduced certain new features in his Kathak.

HANUMAN PRASAD Hanuman Prasad is the son of Gangaram, a Kathak of the

Jaipur style. He was trained in dance by his father as well as by Dhanalal, a Kathak of merit. He has taught at Delhi and Meerut and now, for several years, he has been in Bombay. He is also a poet and music composer. Though he is a Kathak dancer following the Jaipur tradition, he excels in bhava and his thumris, dadras and ghazals are always a treat to behold. A~ present he is working as the Kathak teacher in the Hillgrange School, Bombay. '

63

HAZARI LAL A leading exponent of the Jaipur Gharana, Hazari Lal

belongs to Bikaner . . His father, Hanumanta Ram, was a noted sarangi player and. his brother, Satya Narain, was well known as a tabla artist. Hazari I4Uearned from both. Later, he became a pupil of Shiv L3:l,_~ KathaJc qancer of .the J aipur Gharana, .who is now pver 80 years "{)Lm. ~r this he became a pupil of Sund\:!,' Prasad and .had inl,n~vN!aining under him. After startIng 'his professional career, h~~ gave dance performances all over North India and was also invited to perform at the darbars of Raigarh, Gidhor and Paruna. He worked for three years as a Kathak teacher at the ' Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapeeth, Lucknow, and now, sirce 1949, he is the chief Kathak instructor at the Sangeet Samaj . College, Meerut.

. \ JAGANNATH PRASAD,

An outstanding K.it~ak exponent of his time, Jagannath Prasad was born in Bikaner State and he died in 1946, at the age of p4. He was a disciple of Nathulal, who was for some time the Court dancer at Gwalior, but he also learnt from Chuni Lal and Gopal Das, both of whom followed the Janki Prasad G~anlDa. Jagannath Prasad spent a long time at Banaras and afte-r that he served as a Court dancer in Indore and Nepal. He was a>man of deep religion and his dance was always an expression of his devotion to Lord Krishna. He composed some kavitas and other items of nritya. He is survived by a son, Radha Knshan, who is now teaching Kathak at Pilani.

JAI KUMARI Jai Kumari is the only daughter of the great Jai Lal of

the Jaipur Gharana. She was trained by her father and for many years there was no Kathak dancer who could compete with her. Her forte was layakari. She performed, _:a~t,t;~ill. ... ~ conferences and won acclaim everywhere. The d father was a great shock to her and, since then, she Jl"''!A5"nl\~'''' left the dance field. For some years she served teacher at the Bani Bidya Bithi; Calcutta. Now 35, she lives at Calcutta, with her mother, and gives private tuition in Kathak.

JA! LAL Acknowledged, by common consent, as the doyen

Jaipur Gharana, Jai Lal Misra was born about 1885 died in 1949. He was first attached to the Court of after that he also served as a Court dancer in Jodhpur, Sikri, Raigarh and Maihar. He was for Nepal as well. He stayed for about 8 years at taught Kartik and Kalyan. Apart from being dancer, Jai Lal was also an expert on the tabla and he was also a qualified musician. Jai Lal was U'Ull'~mlt.uy his father Chuni Lal' Jai Lal spent the last three years .his life at Calcutta, as a Kathak teacher in the Bani Bidya Bithi. He married twice and he is survived by two children, Ram Gopal and Jai Kumari, both of whom arc Kathak dancers and both of whom, with their respective mothers, still continue to stay at Calcutta.

M. S .KALYANPURKAR Mohanrao Kalyanpurkar is one of the very few educated

men who have taken to Kathak as a profession. Originally a student of science, he left college before graduation, to devote himself fully to Kathak. He had intensive training under Sunder Prasad and, side by side, whenever there was an opportunity, he also took lessons from Acchan Maharaj as well as Shambhu Maharaj. In 1937 he started a school of Kathak in Lucknow- the Maharaj Bindadin School of Kathak, but two years later, he was appointed Head of the Department of Dance at the Morris College of Hindustani Music at Lucknow. This College is now known as the Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidya­peeth and Mohanrao still continues to be in charge of the Dance Department. Apart from being a teacher, Mohanrao is also an accomplished dancer, and he has given numerous professional performances. He is also a composer and has composed many kavitas and toras in Kathak and also directed and presented a number of Kathak ballets, such as 'Shakuntala', 'Malati Madhav', 'M eghdoot', ' Vikramorvashiyum' and 'War and Peace'. Today he is the examiner for Kathak at many schools and institutions throughout India and also a judge for various awards in dance instituted by the Government of India.

KARTIK RAM AND KALYAN DAS I These two dancers, who once formed an inseparable pair, were brought up by the Raja of Raigarh. He arranged for their training and employed vidwans such as Jai Lal and Acchan Maharaj for the purpose. When the Raja was living, these two ~ancers were in great form and there were very few dancers, even among hereditary professionals, who could compete with them, at least in tayari. These dancers arc nol1 well known today,

64

for after the Raja's death, they have preferred to remain in th background. This is indeed a great pity, for they are both a~co~plish~d artistes and brilliant performers. They are both still m Ralgarh, though they are not connected with Katbak any more.

KRISHAN KUMAR

. Krish!ln Kumar belongs to t~e Janki Prasad Gharana and IS one of Its foremost representatives at present. He is the IOn of Pt. Gopal and the nephew of Hanuman Prasad both outstanding dancers of their SchooL He was trained by Iili uncle Hanuman Prasad and, later, by Ashiq Hussain. In 1947 he started a Kathak school at Bareilly and, apart from running ~ he toured several parts of North India giving KathU performances. H e came to Delhi in 1958, to ,,'ork in "Malali Madhav", the ballet produced by the Bharatiya Kala Kendra Here, he came into close touch with Shambhu Maharaj and decided to his disciple, in order to learn the Lucknow style of him in this, the Ministry of Culture has Krishan Kumar is already an accompl and and 10, today, he is learning ............ Iio1II•t

She her

uncle, ..-UlrsDlP by the

this traini~ ~h=b~!lti~;':j. She has also worked With

opposite him in twO Kathak "Kumara sambhava".

KUNDAN LAL I Kundan Lal a Kathak exponent of the Jaipur Schoo, t:r

trained by his u'ncle Narayan Prasad, the .nothd ~~N:ayan Kathak who is now no more. He went to RaIgar ~I he went to Prasad when the latter was in service there. After. this f 5 yead Bihar ~nd Madhya Pradesh and toured these regIJr tb~n came and gave dance performances at several pl~. d~ce tuitions. to Bombay and stayed there f01" 15 years, .glvK!thak, indudiDI He trained a number of film actresses 10 . orking as a Swarnalata, Paro and Jabeen. Since 1953 he IS tthe Baroda Kathak instructor in the Dance Departm~nt 0 University.

LACCHU MAHARAJ Younger to Acchan Maharaj and elder to Shambhu

Maharaj, Lacchu Maharaj is at present the seniormost exponent of the Lucknow Gharana. He was trained first by Kalka Prasad and then by Acchan Maharaj. He started giving professional performances when he was ten, and today, at the age of 58, he still continues to do so. For a long time, he has been at Bombay. Here he runs his own dance school, 'Nntan Nritya Niket'. He has also composed some ballets in Kathak technique. He trained his daughter Kausalya in Kathak and about 15 years ago, she was a very popular artist, though now she has retired from .thes.e fields. Though he is popularly known as Lacchu Maharaj, hl~ real name is Baijnath Prasad. In 1957 he won the Akademl Award for Kathak dance.

MOHAN LAL Mohan Lal is the son of Hanuman Prasad, of Jaipur, and

the elder brother of Chiranji Lal and Narayan Prasad. H~ learnt the Jaipur technique from his father. and t~en went t? Lucknow and learnt for some time from Bmda Dm Maharaj. He then toured several States, among them Raigarh, Indor~, Gidhor and Baroda, and gave Kathak performances: After thiS he went to Jaipur and worked there for some time as the Court dancer. After a stay in Bombay, he remained for a long time at Delhi teaching Kathak to his own disciples. Now, for a year, he is' at the Sangeet Vidyalaya at Khairagarh, as a teacher of Kathak.

MAYA RAO Maya Rao is perhaps the only dancer from South India

who has mastered Kathak. She belongs to Bangalore and she had her early training in Kathak from Sohanlal of Jaipur, who was at Bangalore. While still a student, in 1946, she started a school of dancing in Bans:alore, and ~his ~as p~bably. t~e fir.st institution in South India to prOVide mtenslve trammg In

Kathak. After qualifying for the Honours Degree i!1 Literll:t~re, Maya Rao went to Jaipur and for two. years received traIning in Kathak from the best teachers aVaIlable there. Soon after that she was awarded a Government of India Cultural Sch~larship in Kathak, and she began her. further. training under Shambhu Maharaj. Shambhu Maharaj found In her a very diligent and promising pupil, and he has on more than One occasion admitted that he has trained her to an extent to which he has not trained any other pupil in his whole career. Maya Rao also has the rare distinction of having danced duets with her Guru, Shambhu Maharaj. She has composed some ballets in Kathak and also carried out researches pertinent to that art. She is now on the staff of the Bharatiya. Kala Kendra, New Delhi but she still continues to be a pupil of Shambhu Maharaj a~d since a year, also of Sunder Prasad, thus getting the benefit 01 the best training from the foremost exponents of both Gharanas.

POOVIAH SISTERS Pooviah Sisters were pioneer students of Pandit Sunder

Prasad and Pandit Jayalal of Jaipur, whose devotion to Kathak became an example to many other young women of our country. Sita Pooviah eldest of the three sisters wrote thesis for a Doctor's Degree on Kathak, which is hitherto unpublished.

RADHA KRISHAN Radha Krishan was born in Nepal where his father,

Jagannath Prasad, a Kathak exponent of the Janki P~asad Gharana was in service as the Court dancer. Radha Knshan had his training in Kathak from his father. After his father's death he went to Dehra Dun where he worked as a dance teacher in "Sangeet Samiti". After 5 years' stay in Dehra Dun, he joined the "Sangeet Bharati", Delhi, as a Kathak teacher and worked there for 3 years. Since 1953 he is working as a Kathak teacher at the Birla College, Pilani. He is also the author ~f a book on Kathak, "Nrityakala Manjari", which is in Hindi.

RADHELAL MISRA Radhelal Misra is a disciple of J ai Lal. He was with Ram

Gopal for some years and he tou~e? Europe .with him. Among his disciples the name of Kumudml Lakhla IS we.ll known. He is at present teaching Kathak at Sangeet Bharao, a school of music and dance in New Delhi.

RAM GOPAL Ram Gopal is the only son of Jai Lal, the doyen of the

Jaipur Gharana .. He was borrl: at Raigarh, w~en his father was in the service of the Raja there. Ram Gopal received training in Kathak as well as in tabla and he achieved a very high degree of proficiency in both. He has danced at several music conferences and worked as a teacher at Bombay and Madras. He is at present only ~5 years of age. !:Ie now t~a.c~es Kathak at the Bani Bidya Bithl, Calcutta, and IS also a vlSlong instructor attached to the Kala Vikash Kendra, Cuttack.

RANI KARNA. Rani Karna is today one of the leading dancers of Delhi.

Having taken an Honours Degree in Science at the Delhi University, she is now a student of Sanskrit and Russian. However, dancing has always attracted her and she has spent all her spare time learning this art. She had her early training under Birju Maharaj and, after that, under Narayan Prasad. She is generally accepted as the foremost pupil of the late Narayan Prasad. Rani Karna has given a number of Kathak performances at Delhi and at other places, and she is beginning to acquire a professional status.

RAT A.N SHANKAR Ratan Shankar is the young son of Gyan Shankar, who was

for many years in Lahore. Ratan Shankar has been trained in Kathak by his father, an outstanding master himself. Ratan Shankar has made some appearances on the professional stage ill Bombay and he has unanimously been proclaimed a brilliant performer. His tayari and luyakari in footwork are especially noteworthy. .

ROHINI BHATE Though she had made some effort to learn dance before, it

was in 1946 that Rohini Bhate started her serious study of Kathak. She had her early training from Sohan Lal, of the Jaipur Gharana. After this she had occasional lessons from Manna Lal of Bombay, and from Mohanrao Kalyanpurkar of Lucknow. In 1952 she went as a member of the Indian Cultural Delegation to China. Rohini Bhate has made an earnest study of the ancient and authoritative shastras on Indian dance and dramaturgy and tried to use this knowledge to improve her technique. For over a decade she has been running a school of Kathak at Poona. known as "Nritya Bharati". This school has trained numerous pupils and has twice won the first prize in Kathak at the Inter-University Youth Festivals at Delhi. Rohini Bhate has given numerous performances alI over the country and has also appeared in music and dance conferences. She has worked as an examiner in Kathak, both at Lucknow and Jaipur. She has composed a number of ballets in Kathak style and she has written several articles, in Marathi, and also two books, one on the technique of Kathak and the other on her own experiencCl as a dancer.

ROSHAN KUMARI Roshan Kumari is the daughter of Fakir Mohammed, a

noted tabla player, and Zohra Jan of Ambala, a famous playback . singer, who worked for a long time in Bombay. Thus, she was

/ brought up in an atmosphere of music and rhythm. She received

SIT ARAM PRASAD Sitaram Prasad was a disciple of Binda Din and h

~onte~porary of Acchan Maharaj . He sl'.rved as a COurted'WU a In Ralgarh and also in Nepal. About 1935 he came to ~r and settled down there. He had a number of pupils pro' y among whom were Menaka, Zubeida and Manora:n.. Dl1Dent

SOHAN LAL

I, ./, her training in Kathak, first from K. S. Moray and then from

, Sunder Prasad. She also learnt Bharata Natyam for some time from Govindaraj Pillai and ·-M.ahalingam Pillai of Bombay, but she did thi~ only to upderstand, the technique of that art, not to perform It. She has. presented Kathak at numerous conference! . Like Jai Lal, So~an L~ .is an outstanding artiat of th

'.'. in all parts of the country. She has' oetJen been aske4. to dance J alpur Gharana. He IS a dIscIple of J ai Lal Sunder prasad for important dignitaries who have, from time to time;'come. to ~~ Devi ~~. H~ spent most of ~s time in Bombay and Calcu

'- India from v,llrious foreign -countries. She has also danced in a glvmg twuons m Kathak. HIS famous pupils are Bel !:I number of ~ndi and Bengali films, including "Jhansi Ki Ran$." ". Jharna, of Calcutta. He also trained Sunalini Devi Leda aD an. "Mirza Gliallb", "Waris", "Parineeta", "Basant Bahar" ar.d ' \ and 1:tam Dhan. who i.s now working as a dan~e teacherea: "Jalsaghar". She is now in Calcutta, where her parents ha~e Ludhlana. Sohan Lal IS also an expert in the tabla and settled down. . ./ <fCOmplished vocal musician. an

I ,' j .

SHAMBH'u MAHARAJ . /" / SUDERSHAN KUMAR Shambhu Maharaj is the youngest of the . three f~ous $on( ' Sudershan Kumar is a sincere and devoted student of Kathak

of Kalka Prasad and nephews of Binda Din. He was trained in who h~ already made a mark in the field of dance. After hia Kathak, fi~t by his uncle Binda Din and then by his eldest academiC career, he began to learn Bharata Natyam Manip . brother Mchan M~araj. Apart from concentrating on dancing, and Kathak, but eventually decided to stick to only ~ne styl= Shambht/ Mahara] . also learnt classical H industani music, the Kathak. He is a pupil of Hazari Lal who teaches Kathak especiiY the " thum ri-anga, which he mastered under the at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.'He has already given gui?an :«3 0 Rarumuddin Khan who was the younger brother of some p.erformances, ,,:hich have bee~. appreciated, and he hu MOlZU, 'lin K.han, a prominent thumri exponent of his time. thus laid the foundatiOn of a prommng professional career. Shamllhl1 Maharaj is ,equally at home in music and dance, and it is by/\ri!tue of ~is that he cal) do equal justice to both nritya and pr~f.esslon~ d.ance perforIllances, and today he enjoys a repu­tatJ6n which IS the envy of. every Kathak artist. H e has won numerous awards and titles, among them 'Nritya Samrat' which was bestowed upon him at a major music and dance conference held in Dehra Dun, and 'Abhinaya Chakravart i, which was given to him at .a conference in Madras. He is also the recipient of two of ~e greatest honours in the field of Indian art: the. 'Padama Shri', which is made by the Rashtrapati and the Akademi Award; which is made by the Sangeet Natak Akadenp. True to the ideals of his Gharana, Shambh~ Maharaj excels In

bhava and he has also ~e earnest efforts to revive the )ise of Ashtapadis and of certain thumris and bhajans and other !,ritya pieces in Kathak.' ~e has trained hundreds of pupils, mcluding ' most of 'the Oovernment of India scholarship-holders in Kathak. Shambhu 'Maharaj is convinced that the Kathak we have today was originally the 'Nat wari' dance and he is striving hard to restore it to its pristine purity. Since 1955 he is working as the Head of the Dance Department at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi.

SHIV LAL Now aged over 80, Shiv Lal is a veteran who has spent his

whole life in the service of Kathak. He belongs to Rajasthan but, early in his life, after getting some training from th~ G.urus ~ere, he w~nt to Lucknow and became a disciple of Bmda Dm MaharaJ. He then served as a dancer in the States of Mysore and Nepal. He also worked for some time as a teacher of Kathak in the Vishnu Digamber School, Bombay. Due to old age he is not doing any work now and is spending his time at his native village, Sujangarh.

SITARA She is the daughter of Sukhdev Misra who was a Court

musician in Nepal. She was trained in Kathak first by her father and then by Acchan Maharaj. She also had lessons from Shambhu Maharaj . About 15 years ago, she was a popular film actress. She has given numerous Kathak performances all over the country, and she has also danced outside India. H er dancing is always brilliant and full of life.

66

SUNDER LAL Sunder Lal belo~gs to Sujangarh, in Raja,sthan, and he ia

the son of S~tya ~araln, a noted tabla player of his time. Sunder Lal was trained m Kathak by a number of outstanding muten of the Jaipur Gharana, including Shiv Narain Jaganoatb. Sunder Pra~ad, Hazari Lal and Gauri Shankar. Sunder La! ia a very pohshed performer and his demonstration is alwaY' marked by unusual grace, charm and technical perfection. He has worked as a dance teacher in Bombay, Delhi and MeeruL He is also an expert in the tablll and has often given recitals foa AIR. He is also a composer and has a number of Kathak kavit4 and tora..s to his credit. Since 1951 he is working as a Kathal teacher m the Dance Department of the University of Baroda.

SUNDER PRASAD Sund.er Prasad is the younger brother of Jai Lal, the doyen

of the Jalpur Gharana. He had his early training in Kathak from his father Chuni Lal and from his brother Jai Lal. But he was only a boy when he was taken to Lucknow and put under the charge of Binda Din Maharaj. In this way, quite early in life, Sunder Prasad acquired the knowledge of the Jaipur Gharana as well as the Lucknow Gharana. He has, therefore, evolved a system of Kathak which utilises the best elements of each Gharana. Sunder Prasad became a professional dancer from the age of about 20 and, since then, he has given many dance recitals in all parts of the country. But more than a performer, he has been a teacher. He first started a school of Kathak in Bombay, which he called the Maharaj Binda DiD School of Kathak. He spent over 30 years in Bombay and trained numerous disciples, among them Sunalini Devi, Pooviah sisters, Menaka, Mohanrao Kalyanpurkar, Sohan Lal, Hira Lal and Roshan Kumari . After Bombay he went to Madras and trained some pupils. Since 1958 he is in Delhi, as a Kathak teacher at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra. In recognition of his long service in the field of Kathak, in 1959 the Sangeet Natat Akademi honoured him with the Award for Kathak dance.

(Th ese sketches are arranged in alphabetical order of thl! lIam.s of Guru and contemporary artists. )

This IS your Heritage

In a picturesque mountainous drive from .~ahableshwar to Mahad. you can VISit the ancient fort of Pratab­garh. This fortress is 3543 feet above se~ l~~el, and was built in 1656 by ShlvaJl, who at this fort defeated the army of Sultan of Bijapur. From the bastions of Pratabgarh, you have a magnificent view of the Western Ghats, an area which depicts the rugged beauty of India. And wherever you motor in this vast country, your trip wilJ be more pleasant, and free from 'car troubles', when you drive on Caltex petroleum products.

SEE YOUR COUNTRY ON CAL TEX PETROLEUM PRODUCTS