Bharatanatyam is a classical dance of India, which finds its roots in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It is believed that Bharatanatyam is mainly a renewal of Cathir, the ancient art of temple dancers. The dance form has been named after Bharata Muni, the author of the Natya Shastra (ancient treatise on classical Indian dance). The word Bharatanatyam is composed of three terms, Bha meaning Bhava or abhinaya (expression), Ra meaning raga (melody) and Ta meaning tala (rhythm). In other words, the dance form is a communion of expression, melody and rhythm.
The oldest of all the classical dance forms in India, Bharatnatyam is also known as the fifth Veda. In the ancient times, it used to be performed by the Devadasis in the temples of Tamilnadu as ‘dasiattam’. The postures of the Bharata Natyam dance of India have served as an inspiration for the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples. The postures of the celestial dancers depicted in the scriptures were given the name of Bharatanatyam Mudras on earth. The spirit of Bhakti has been deeply ingrained in Bharata Natyam and it mainly features mythological stories.
The philosophy behind the dance is to search the human soul and unite with the Supreme Being. In the dance form of Bharatnatyam, the artists make use of beautiful hand and eye movements to convey the message. It is more of a personification of the music in a visual form. There are three main elements of Bharata Natyam, namely