Himalayan Times (1960)

February 14, 1960 jfrimlinn **m» r • ' „ . »•»•■

Krishna, the divine cow- varied depths and subtleties. natety many of these folk
herd, was beautiful enough Finally, there is nothing forms are fast disappear-
to charm all by His very more varied or fascinating ing, mainly owing to the

personality. Yet, He used-----than human emotions. It depletion of the villages

the flute to stir in the is from this point of view and the general acceptance

hearts of all that, which that the raga system of of the town as the centre

music alone can move. music has taken deep root of cultural life.

Thus" did He attract all in Indian consciousness. Classical Dancing

creation not only human -r. i_ n\ i j

. . i, . . ; u. it These basic concepts Classical dancing in

but all nature to Himself. , . ,. . , , r_____ . ,5

of Indian music have been common with classical music

There is not a field understood and preserved has a religious basis. In

of activity in India in which in the South Indian tradi- South India, the main body

music has not given its tjon. From the days ol of dance tradition was

stimulus. While it stimu- tne Nayanmars whose maintained intact by the

lates, it also puts to slefep hymn* were probably sung Devadasis who were atta-

the child of the sick. ;„ the;r t;mes in ways „ot ched to temples. Their

Science of Emotions much different from the performances which had the

India's greatest contri- traditional modes in which name Sadir were produced

bution is this spiritual out- they afe sung in Saiva not only in temples but

look allied to creation in places of worship today, also abroad palaces, houses

its manifold expressions. to the period in which we etc. on all auspicious

Therefore, the root know- ''ve when authentic South occasions. This dance fell

ledge of music and dance Indian music of a very into disrepute for many

is the science of the emo- high order is being com- reasons and became neaily

tions. It is because of this posed, this concept of the extinct,

that the raga system is art as the very voice of Dance dramas a|so

the essence of Indian pod has been jealously d<.veioped out of the Bha.

music The West speca- kept and guarded. Mh.ng ratnatya tradition, using the

lises in harmoney, India has survived hat ha. not Bharainatya technique,

in melody. Generally, it is been the result of a deep Some of them, as in Tan-

thought that melody in spiritual and religious ,m- jore and Kuchupudi> were

itself is monotonous and P"1"- performed in temples by

bound to lack variety As Dance in South India men dancers of the priestly

art represents the soul of has closely followed the class, who were called

the people, Indian music way 0f tne music the Bhagavathars. On this

is based on the soul of variety in folk dancing is account they came to be

India's teaching. increchbly rich. Apart from called Bhaeavatha Mela

India's teaching is the well defined patterns Natamas. The Tanjor group

based on the individual. So of folk dancing in linguistic of these plays that have

melody the expression of areas, such as Tamil, come' down to us were

the individual is so highly Telugu, Karnataka and written by Venkataram

evolved that it is the very Kerala; in each one of Sastrin of. Melattur, who

expression of individual aspi- these areas there are local lived in the late 18th and

ration. An individual is in variations and dances pecu- early 19th centuries. The

himself an embodiment of liar to small localities which Kuchupudi dramas were

myriad emotions with their are innumerable. Unfortu composed by Sidhendra