Dance of Odisha

During the winter season, Odisha comes alive with festivals devoted to traditional music and dance.

Chilka Lake - Odisha

 Chilka Lake is recognized for its exotic splendor and is one of the largest inland salt-water lagoon not only India, but in the entire Asian continent stretching over an area of 1,100 sq km. It spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha.

It  is one of India's migratory birds paradise. It is a heaven for birds in East India.There are more than 150 species of migratory and residential birds here. Many rare and endangered birds are also in the list of birds that regularly visit Chilka.These groups include Polyzoa, Porifera, Protozoa, Coelenterata, Isopoda, Echiura, Chaetognatha, Platyhelminthes, Insecta, Crustacea, Archinida and Mollusca to Fishes, Reptiles, Amphibians, mammals and birds.  Boating and fishing facilities are also available in this lake.

It is dotted with some wonderful small islands that make the lake more picturesque. Kalijai is an important pilgrimage place as the Temple of Goddess Kalijai is situated here.

The nearest airport to the lake is in Bhubaneswar around 120 km away and the nearest railway station is in Balugaon and Rambha. 

Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves - Odisha

Just 7 kms west of Bhubaneswar are the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udaygiri facing each other, honeycombed with caves.From 1st century BC the sandstone caves were excavated by Jain and Buddhist ascetics . The hills are literally filled with caves and over recent years the preservation of the rare carvings and general structure of the site has been the focus of a great deal of attention from the Archaeological Survey of India. Across the road just a few minutes walk leads to Khandagiri Caves, the Ananta Vasudev Cave , with its decorated pilasters and carved figures,is most interesting . A short but steep path leads to the top of the hill from where a panormic view of the city is obtainable. Caves 1 and 2, also known as the Parrot caves because of the figures of birds carved on its entrance are other must visits.

By Air : Just 3 km From Bhubaneshwar airport.425 Km from Vishakhapatnam .

By Rail : Bhubaneshwar railway station is located at the centre of the city. Delhi trains from Delhi to Bhubaneshwar include the Purshottam Exp. and Kaligautkal Exp. The journey from Delhi takes around 16 hours.
By Road : The Baramunda bus stand is located just 8 km from the city centre. State transport buses provide regular services to all the major cities across the state. Alternatively, taxis can also be hired from any of the major neighbouring cities to reach Bhubaneshwar. Once inside the city, taxis, auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws are the available means of moving around.

October to March are the best time to visit this cave. Around this caves Bindu Sagar Lake, Lingaraja Temple, Nandankanan Zoo are the major attraction.

Architecture of Odisha(Mukteswara Temple,Rajarani Temple,Bhairavi temple,Lingaraja Temple),Konark Sun Temple,Dhauli Hill

Though ancient time, this Eastern tradition has also incorporated modern values as India, Odisha became a modern nation state.  Traditional Vastu Shastra remains influential in Odisha's architecture during the contemporary era. Wooden architecture and rock cut architecture became popular solidified  . The  temples consists essentially of a chambered sanctuary topped by a superstructure, tower, or spire and an attached pillared porch or hall enclosed by a peristyle of cells within a rectangular court.

Architecture in paintings, art, handicraft of Odisha  are very exquisite pieces of art as they represent architecture that dates back to the 1st century BC. The caves were   decorated with beautiful sculptural motifs which is a big part of India’s historical art. These architecture clip art pieces present a very clear and picturesque view of the contemporary society . Odisha architecture art artisans and artists are very talented and possess excellent skills. All kinds of architecture arts both modern and medieval like paintings, wood carvings, sculptures, etc. 

The Odisha temples have their own distinct style which gradually evolved into a more elaborate plan, highly decorative plastic figures and taller sikharas. They are characterised by exquisite, ornamentally carved Gods and Goddesses, kings and queens, animals and flower motifs. Orissa is probably the only State where one can study temple architecture in all its successive stages of development.


Mukteswara Temple

Mukteswar is one of the major  gem architecture temple of Odisha ,bhubaneswar. It is unique monument constructed in the year 950 AD of 10th century , made for meditation & temple's name Mukteswara devoted to Lord Shiva, who gives freedom  and is carved with figures of ascetics in several poses depict stories from the Panchatantra written by Vishnu Sharma. 

 The Gateway to this temple excellent combinations of Hindu and Buddhist and Jain features, which find a common voice in much of Odisha temple craft., modeled on the torana recovered from the field in Bhubaneswar, bears sculptures that range from elaborate scrolls. The sculptured gateway, the jagamohana with diamond shaped latticed windows and decorated interiors and the plethora of sculptural work all deserve mention rising to a height of 35 feet. This temple has also been described as a dream realized in sandstone and it is a monument where it is said sculpture and architecture are in complete harmony with one another. Richly sculpted, the temple offers pride of place to tales from the Panchatantra. The sophisticated architectural style holds a magnetic appeal that lies in its indigenous glory.

Rajarani Temple

Rajarani temple is one of the architectural splendors of Odisha ,Bhubaneswar in 11th century in the district of Khurda located towards north-east of Lingaraj temple. Earlier Raja Rani temple was known as Indreshwara Temple, which was dedicated to Lord Shiva. The entire structure exudes grace and elegance set in open paddy fields . It is famous for its sculpted figures and the successive tiers of projections rising to form its 18 m tower and also the tall and slender nayikas (temple figures) carved in high relief on the walls-figures in amorous dalliance and in such acts as fondling her child, looking into the mirror, taking off her anklet, caressing the bird, playing instrument, holding branches of trees etc.

It has a square sanctuary and its interior and exterior surfaces are so recessed that it appears circular. The ornamental deul stands diagonal to the severely plain jagamohana. They are standing from the entrance in a clockwise order surrounding the porch and the deul to end back at the torana. The eight guardians carved around the shrine are Indra-God of rain, Agni-God of fire, Yama-God of death, Nirriti-God of suffering, Varuna-God of ocean, Vayu-God of wind, Kubera-God of wealth and Ishana (Shiva.) , dressed in diaphanous drapery they stand on lotuses, with their mounts below.

Bhairavi temple

Berhampur is famous for a temple dedicated to Maa Bhairavi. It has become an important Sakti Pitha Venerable for the fisherman community that lives in nearby villages Mantridi. Tourists from almost all parts Odisha  Andhra Pradesh visit this holy shrine every day. The idols of several goddesses and gods are enshrined in the temple premises. The important dates with the deity are the Sankranties of the Hindu calendar, and all Tuesdays.


Nearest major Railway Station is Berhampur- 18 kms 4 Km.
Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar (190 km) and Visakhapatnam (260 km)

Lingaraja Temple

 Lingaraja Temple is built by Jajati Keshari in 11th century in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The significance is self-originated Lingam. One can easily reach Lingaraj Temple by taking local buses or by hiring Taxis from the city of Bhubaneshwar.

The term 'Lingaraj' suggests 'the king of Lingas', where 'linga' is the phallic form of Lord Shiva .
The remarkable structure of the temple gives the tint of Kalinga style of architecture. The aesthetic sculptures look at their apex in this architectural exhibition. Erected in red sandstone, Lingraj Temple has the stone of the darkest shade. The huge temple complex covers the vast lands of Bhubaneshwar in a stretch. The tall spire of the temple extends to the height of 55 meters and literally, dominates the skyline of Bhubaneshwar. The spacious courtyard comprises 50 small shrines that are dedicated to several Gods of the Hindu pantheon.

The temple  is the biggest and finest temple of Odisha.
Jagara or Shiva Ratri or the night of Shiva is a festival held in honour of the God.
It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, another name for Shiva and
  a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Odisha.
The temple is more than 1000 years old, dating back in its present form to the last decade of the eleventh century, though there is evidence that parts of the temple have been there since sixth century AD as the temple has been emphasized in some of the seventh century Sanskrit texts. This is testimony to its sanctity and importance as a Shiva shrine. By the time the Lingaraj temple was constructed, the Jagannath (form of Vishnu) cult had been growing, which historians believe is evidenced by the co-existence of Vishnu and Shiva worship at the temple.The Lingaraj temple stands majestically as the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. At 55 metres high, it dominates the landscape with 150 smaller shrines in its spacious courtyard and is surrounded by massive walls lavishly decorated with beautiful sculptures.

This magnificent temple, dedicated to Shiva, represents the quintessence of the Kalinga type of Hindu architecture. Along with the Raja-Rani Temple, it is the pinnacle of the architectural exhibition at Bhubaneswar. It contains a profusion of sculptural work. It is built of red sandstone which gives it a darkest color.

Konark Sun Temple

Konark is located on the Bay of Bengal, 60 kms from Bhubaneswar and 35 kms from Puri. Itis a small town in the District of Puri and one of the points of the Golden Triangle of Odisha. Konark is world famous for its unique stone carved sun temple which is dedicated to Lord Surya(sun) which is heavily decorated with stone carving and chandrabhaga with sunrise and it is also known as the Black Pagoda. Every year Thousands of people visit to this destination. It was constructed by King Narasimhadeva I (1238-1250 CE) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone. The name Konark is derived from the Sanskrit word Kona (meaning corner) and word Arka means (sun). The entire complex temple was designed in the form of the God's huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely decorated wheels at its base.

The temple is guarded by two giant lions, which are shown crushing a war elephant. Each elephant in turn lies on top of a human body. The temple symbolizes the majestic stride of the Sun God. At the entrance of the temple is a Nata Mandir. The dancers  perform their dances in homage to the Sun God. Here the stone surpasses the language of man."

 Dhauli Hill

Dhauli Hill (Dhaulagiri) is situated near Daya River, 8 km south of Bhubaneswar in Odisha India. Dhauli hill holds the distinction of being the place where Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor renounced war and embraced Buddhism. The peace pagoda (Shanti Stupa) remains at the top of the tourist choices for the delicate structure of the stupa and the monastery near it. The Saddharma Vihar monastery and the Shanti Stupa make the Buddhist pilgrim a special attraction, and a place to feel eternal peace of mind.

The main of the artifacts, ancient and archaeologically invaluable is the Ashokan edicts. These are specific due to the inscriptions, written on rock, some of them by Ashoka himself, and are rare pieces of art. The Dhauli edicts are written in the Prakrit language using the Brahmi script. The other major attractions of Dhauli Hill include Saddharma Vihar monastery, the ancient sculptures and the some very extraordinary art forms. The nearest airport and railway station is that of Bhubaneshwar. Dhauli can be reached by Bus, or rented Taxi.

Jagannath Temple Puri

The grandeur of architecture and the crafts is the main top of the high sculptures cultural speak about the history of Puri District. Puri is also known as Jagannath Dham or Purusottam khetra or Bada Deula and popularly for the adobe of Lord Jagannath and famous for annual Rath Yatra or the Car Festival, chandan yatra, many more fair and fesival, handicraft ( sand art), beautiful beaches, Chilka Lake and Simlipal National Park, Govardhana matha , Sringeri, Dwaraka,Jyotirmath, Adi Shankaracharya, Historic antiquities ,Religious sanctuaries , Architectural Grandeur , Sea-scape beauty, moderate climate etc.

It is situated  Just  62 km  from Bhubaneswar. Puri is the holy city of the hindus as a part of the char dham pilgrimages. According to Hindu parmpara,  without a journey to Puri Jagnnath temple a pilgrimage is not considered to complete. one of the best beaches where both sunrise and sunset can be viewed. In the festival of  Rath Yatra in Puri the three deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra appear in the huge chariots in modern times in the temple background.

The District is happy for different religions, sects and faith in course of history, Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina, Muslim, Christian, Sikh found here. Cultural program is organized on every second saturday of the month two hours, in the evening at the collector's conference Hall C (Near Sea bech Police Station) Puri by District Council of culture. Apera is the very popular mobile drama troupe in the puri. Museum is popular for different veshas of Lord Jagannath, Sculptures of various Kinds, Patta paintings palm leaf paintings, numerous varieties of Handicrafts . Bada Thakura(Lord Jagannath), Bada Danda(Grand Road), Bada Deula(Jagannath temple), Bada Raja(King of puri), Maha Prasada(cooked food from the temple), Maha Dipa(oil candel), Bad Danda(Big road) etc. are notable persons and things in Puri.

The Five Wonderful Classical Dance of India (Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kathak,Kuchipudi,Manipuri)

Dance form	State(s) of origin
Bharatanatyam	Tamil Nadu
Kathak	Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh
Kathakali	Kerala
Kuchipudi	Andhra Pradesh
Manipuri	Manipur
Mohiniyattam	Kerala
Odissi	Odisha
Sattriya	Assam

India is a very rich tradition and cultural country among all across world. Our country also famous for its different of classical dance and music. Each dance form has its own style, specialty and grace, along with specific costumes. Among all Classical dance, the world famous and popular classical dance styles are:  Bharata Natyam is considered to be a 'fire dance', Odissi (water), Mohiniattam (air), Kuchipudi (earth) and Kathakali (sky).

Bharatanatyam Dance

Bharata Natyam is the most significant classical dance by Carnitic music of South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which is known as "National Dance of India". This dance inspirations come from the sculptures of ancient Chidambaram temple. The name 'Bharatanatyam' is derived from three basic concepts of Bhava, Raga and Taala. The theory is based on the 'Natyasaasthram' and 'Abhinaya Darpanam' books. In Hindu mythology the whole universe is the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja, which is the name of Lord Shiva prsented by Ananda Tandava.

Dance form - Cathir is the ancient dance form of Bharatanatyam.The dance perform is based on 'Adavu' (steps), 'bhavabhinaya' (facial expression) and 'Hasthamudra' (hand gestures). There are 64 basic 'Adavu' and divided it into 9 parts, on which 'Thattadavu', 'Naatadavu', 'Kuthithumettadavu', 'Mandiadavu', 'Sarikkal' and 'Thattumettu' are very important. The performance begins with the prayers to God Ganapathi and worship of Nataraja Murti. The sequence of the dance performance is 'Alarippu', 'Jathiswaram', 'Sabdam', 'Varnam', 'Padam' and 'Thillana'. After 'Thillana', the dance program ends with a 'Mangala Sloka' . Bharata Natyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta (rhythmic dance movements), Natya (mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect) and Nritya (combination of Nritta and Natya).This Bharata Natyam dancer's right hand is in the Katakamukha Hasta, the three joined fingers symbolizing the sacred syllable "OM". The left hand's fingers are in Alapadma Hasta, the rotating lotus of spiritual light. The eyes are directed towards the Supreme Lord. The left leg is lifted, symbolizing the swift ascent of the consciousness in one step from the Earth to the Heaven.

Costume- The costume of this dance is paijama and jacket of Kanchipuram silk or Banaras silk with lots of ornaments of shining stones on neck, ears, hands, and head, jasmin garland in the hair and foot trinklet with small bells .


Music - Dance and music are inseparable forms; only with Sangeetam (words or syllables set to raga or melody) can dance be conceptualized. The music of Bharatanatyam is based on Carnatic classical music. Veena, Flute, Mridangam and Violin are the music instruments, which are used in dance performance.

Narthaki - The Natya Shastra states the qualities required a female dancer narthaki, because they have beautiful limbs, free from indolence, capable and conversant with the sixty-four arts and crafts (kala), clever, courteous in behavior, brave, hard working, good skilled in dancing and songs, beauty, brilliant and many more other qualities for that it is known as a female dancers.

Odissi Dance

Odssi Dance

The Odissi is the classical dance of Eastern India, Odisha. The three Odissi dance schools Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipua developed over the centuries. The Mahari tradition is the devadasi tradition, in which women are attached to deities in the temple. The Nartaki tradition is the school of Odissi dance which developed in the royal courts. Gotipua (a single  boy), it means their costume looks like one, which is a style characteristed by the use of boys dressed up in female clothing to perform female roles. Before Independence, the position of Odissi dance was very bad. The tradition of dancing girls at the temple at Puri was abolished. The only viable Odissi tradition was the Gotipua.

Maharis were Odiya devadasis or temple girls, their name deriving from Maha (great) and Nari or Mahri (chosen) particularly those at the temple of Jagganath at Puri. Early Maharis performed mainly Nritta (pure dance) and Abhinaya (interpretation of poetry) based on Mantras and Slokas. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's Gita Govinda. Bhitari Gauni Maharis were allowed in the inner temple while Bahari Gauni Maharis, though in the temples, were excluded from the sanctum.

Gotipua Dance

By the 6th century, the Gotipua tradition was emerging. One of the reasons given for the emergence of Gotipuas is that Vaishnavas did not approve of dancing by women. Gotipuas were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. During this period, Vaishnava poets composed innumerable lyrics in Oriya dedicated to Radha and Krishna. Gotipuas danced to these compositions and gradually stepped out of the precincts of the temples.

Nartaki dance took place in the royal courts, where it was much cultivated before the British period. At that time the misuse of devadasis came under strong attack, so that Odissi dance withered in the temples and became unfashionable at court. Only the remnants of the Gotipua school remained, and the reconstruction of the style required an archaeological and anthropological effort that has tended to foster a conservative purism

There were a number of people or Guru who were responsible for the reconstruction and popularisation of   Odissi dance. Most notable are Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Mayadhar Raut, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Mahadev Rout, Guru Raghu Dutta, and Guru Kelu Charan Mahapatra. Today Odissi dance is once again deemed a viable and "classical" dance. Padma Vibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties. Sanjukta Panigrahi, the great exponent of Odissi, was a leading disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's and popularized Odissi by performing extensively, both in India and abroad.


features  - The most characteristic features of Odissi dance are the Tribhangi, mudras . The concept Tribhang divides the body into three parts, head, bust, and torso. Any posture which deals with these three elements is called tribhangi. This concept has created the very characteristic poses which are more contorted than found in other classical Indian dances. The term mudra means "stamp" and is a hand position which signifies things. The use of mudras help tell a story in a manner similar to the hula of Hawaii. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures. The common Bhangas are Bhanga, Abanga, Atibhanga and Tribhanga.

At the beginning of dance performance , they salute Mother Earth which is known as Bhumi Pranam. Then the Trikhandi Pranam or the Three-fold salutation - above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to the Gurus and in front of the chest to the Audience.

Music - Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four (34) letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line. The primary Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi.


Costume -The jewelry is made from intricate filigree silver jewelry pieces means thin wire also called as Tsrakashi.For Odissi dancer’s costume the jewelry pieces are an important part,Tikka (forehead ornament), allaka (head piece on which the tikka hangs), unique ear covers in intricate shapes, usually depicting a peacock’s feathers, with jimkis (bell shaped earrings) hanging from them, two necklaces- a smaller necklace worn close to the neck and a longer necklace with a hanging pendant, and two sets of bangles worn on the upper arm and wrist. The process art is skilled before 500 years of creating each piece takes the collaboration of many artisans each specialized in one step of the many that turns a lump of raw silver into a handcrafted work of art. The crown or Mukoot or Mookut, worn by the Odissi dancer is made only in the devotional city of Puri in Eastern Orissa. It is formed from the dried reeds called Sola in a tradition called Sola Kama. The reed is carved by a series of cuts into the rod-like stem and forms various types of flowers when a string is tied in the middle of the rod and pulled tight. As the string is tightened, the flowers shape into Jasmines, Champa (one of the five flowers of Lord Krishna’s arrows), and Kadamba (the flowers of the tree under which Radha would wait for her beloved Lord Krishna). The Mukoot consists of two parts i.e. Ghoba and Tahiya.The flower decorated back piece, called the Ghoba, sits around the dancer’s hair pulled into a bun at the back of the head.The longer piece that emerges from the center of the back piece is called the Tahiya, and this represents the temple spire of Lord Jagannath or the flute of Lord Krishna.The Saree worn by Odissi dancers are generally Sambalpuri saree which is traditional prints by triangle shape border, coloured with bright shades of orange, purple, red or green shiny embellishment. The makeup of an Odissi dancer includes Bindi (red dot), applied on the forehead with a pattern made from sandalwood around it, Kajal (black eyeliner), applied around the eyes with a broad outline to give them an elongated look, among others.

Kathak Dance

 Kathak dance is originated from northern India. It is the major classical dances of India and one of the most dynamic theater arts in the world. The word kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word Katha ,which means "to tell a story". Kathak was primarily associated with an institution known as the tawaif. It was misunderstood institution of female entertainers, but this dance form traces its origins to the the nomadic bards which has    highest demand, standards of training, intelligence, and most important, civility . These bards, performing in village squares and temple courtyards, mostly specialized in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures, and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions. It was quintessential theatre, using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. 

There are three main gharanas, or schools of kathak, named by according to the geographical area in which they developed. These are the Jaipur, Lucknow, and the Benares gharanas. Each has a slight difference in interpretation and repertoire

Costume - Costume sometimes consists of a saree,chudidaar kamij , lehenga-choli with an optional odhni or veil highly ornately decorated specifically which are greater freedom of movement during dance.

Music - Bansuri, Dilruba, Esraj, Ghungharu, Harmonium, Pakhawaj, Santur, Sarangi, Sarod, Sitar, Surmandal, Tabla, Tanpura are the musical instruments etc, which are used in dance form. The dancer begins with an invocation Vandana to dedicated the gods. The first introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern or bol in to the performance is Aamad means entry. Then Salaami which is a salutation to the audience in the Muslim style. The bols can be borrowed from tabla (e.g. dha, ge, na, 'ti' 'na' 'ka' 'dhi na') or can be a dance variety (ta, thei, tat, ta ta, tigda, digdig, tram theyi and so on). A footwork composition consisting of variations on a theme, and ending in a tiha. Tihai, usually a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols repeated thrice so that the very last bol ends dramatically on 'sam'.

After the 16th century the environment of the North Indian Mughal courts caused a shift in focus for Kathak, from a purely religious art form to court entertainment. This dance form possesses a facial expression or facial abhinaya , body-postures, for example the tribhangi position, which is common to most Indian dance forms, and hand movements while seated through bhajan, ghazal or thumri, Kathak to show feeling or Bhaav or katha or story. This abhinaya arose in the Mughal court known as mehfil or darbar .

 Kathak was used to narrate the live figures of Radha-Krishna rasa lella,Krishna-Leela (Krishna’s childhood) in the holy land of Vrindavan as a folk elements.

Famous Kathak Dancers -  Malabika Mitra, Prerana Shrimali, Geetanjali Lal, Urmila Nagar, Shovana Narayan,  Roshan Kumari, Kumudini Lakhia

Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan, recipient of the Padma Shri award.

 Kuchipudi Dance

Kuchipudi is the Classical Indian dance of South India state of Andhra Pradesh, this word Kuchipudi is derived from a small village name Kuchelapuram about 65 kms from Vijaywada. It is known for its graceful movements and its strong narrative dramatic character, composition of both song and dancecalled as daru which is typically Carnatic music and abhinaya, which is world famous as a classical dance. With resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form and in their programs were offerings to the deities and they never allowed women in their groups. In the 15th century saint Siddhendra Yogi championed the cause of redefining this dance form aiming at eliminating exploitation of women. . It has unique indiviudal traditionally dancing form, movements of its dance are quicksilver and scintillating, rounded and fleet-footed and must dance upon a brass plate, placing the feet upon the raised edges with balance. Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala. Nattuva Mala is of two types — the Puja dance performed on the Balipitha in the temple and the Kalika dance performed in a Kalyana Mandapam.Natya Mala is of three kinds — ritual dance for gods, Kalika dance for intellectuals and Bhagavatam for common place.

The Kuchipudi dance begins with worship rituals, then the dancer moves about sprinkling holy water, and then incense is burned. Women sing and dance with worship lamps, followed by the worship of Ganesha, the elephant god, who is traditionally petitioned for success before all enterprises. The songs are goddesses Saraswati (Learning), Lakshmi (Wealth), and Parashakti (Parent Energy), in between chanting drum syllables. The charm of Kuchipudi lies in its fast and intricate footwork, sinuous grace, and the use of the eyes to express moods and feelings followed by 'Natya Shastra .The Kuchipudi dancers are experts in Sattwika Abhinaya, Bhava Abhinaya.

Nilimma Devi,Anila Kumari,Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam,Guru P. V. Bharani Shenkar,Chinta Ravi Bala Krishna,Guru Bhagavathula Yagna Narayana Sarma,
Guru Jayarama Rao, Vanashree Rao,Srinivasa Rao Ravi,Vedantam Lakshminarayana,Dr. Uma Rama Rao,Tadepalli Perayya,Chinta Krishna Murthy,Vedantam Sathya Narayana Sarma,Dr. Korada Narasimha Rao,Guru Bala Kondala Rao are the well known person in this tradition dance.

Mridangam, Manjira ,Saraswati Vina (South Indian Vina), Violin,Kanjira, Tanpura,Venu, Surpeti are the Musical Instruments used in this dance form .

Manipuri Dance

Manipuri is the classical dance of the north East Indian state of Manipur which is surrounded by mountains and geographically isolated at the meeting point of the orient and mainland India. It has unique  form of very high artistic and technical standardsdance form among the classical Indian dance, development of music and dance has through religious festivals , occassion and daily activities of the Manipuri people  throughout the area.  It is one of the  purest, modest, softest and mildest and meaningful dance. According to legends the original creator of Manipuri dance was Radha and Krishna.

The most striking part of Manipur dance is its colorful decoration, lightness of dancing foot, delicacy of abhinaya (drama), lilting music and poetic charm. The Manipuri dance form is mostly ritualistic and draws heavily from the rich culture of the state of Manipur. Costumes used in the Manipur dance are colorful and the music carries a quaint charm. This Rasa Leela dance is said to be repeated by Shiva and his consort, Goddess Uma in Lasya style (in Manipur). It is interesting to note that the same dance (Rasa-dance) was performed for the third time by two mortal human beings, princess Toibi and Khamba of Manipur.

The traditional Manipuri dance style embodies delicate, lyrical and graceful movements.  It is this which gives Manipuri dance its undulating and soft appearance. The foot movements are viewed as part of a composite movement of the whole body. The dancer puts his or her feet down, even during vigorous steps, with the front part touching the ground first. The ankle and knee joints are effectively used as shock absorbers. The dancer’s feet are neither put down nor lifted up at the precise rhythmic points of the music but rather slightly earlier or later to express the same rhythmic points most effectively.

A copper plate inscription credits King Khuoyi Tompok (c. 2nd century CE) with introducing drums and cymbals into Manipuri dance. Ras Lila, the Pung Cholom, Nupa Cholom, Thoibi  are the most important dance forms. There are five Ras Lilas that deal with the divine love of Radha and Krishna. These are: Maharas, Vasantras, Kunjaras, Nityaras and Divaras. The theme revolves around the love of Krishna and the milkmaids (gopis), which is generally performed in a special enclosure in front of the temple called  Nat Mandap.

Dance  is  based upon the cymbals (kartal or manjira) and the cylindrical drum known as Manipuri mridang or pung. The other classical, dances where the instrument is merely used as an accompaniment, the pung and the kartal (manjira) are actually used in the dance. Other common instruments are the harmonium, pena, bansuri, shankh (conch), and esraj.North Indian (Hindustani) music is a very characteristic style of music in this dance form.Usually the songs are used in such as Sanskrit, Maithili, Brijbhasha Manipuri or others from the great poets like Jaydev, Vidyapati, Chandidas, Govindadas or Gyandas.

Pung,Kartal (Manjira) and Manzilla,Pena,Harmonium,Bansuri,Esraj,Shankh are the Musical Instruments Used  Manipuri in the dance form.

CSS3 drop-down menu with Example

CSS3 drop-down menu, without any additional jQuery or javascript or images. To create this add below html structure in your page body part:

HTML:

<ul class="menu">
 <li><a href="#">Home</a></li>
 <li>
  <a href="#">Categories</a>
  <ul>
   <li><a href="#">CSS</a></li>
   <li><a href="#">Graphic design</a></li>
   <li><a href="#">Development tools</a></li>
   <li><a href="#">Web design</a></li>
  </ul>
 </li>
 <li><a href="#">Work</a></li>
 <li><a href="#">About</a></li>
 <li><a href="#">Contact</a></li>
</ul>

and in your style page add below css property:

CSS:

#menu
{
 width: 100%;
 margin: 0;
 padding: 10px 0 0 0;
 list-style: none;
 background: #111;
 background: -moz-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
    background: -webkit-gradient(linear,left bottom,left top,color-stop(0, #111),color-stop(1, #444));
 background: -webkit-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
 background: -o-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
 background: -ms-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
 background: linear-gradient(#444, #111);
 -moz-border-radius: 50px;
 border-radius: 50px;
 -moz-box-shadow: 0 2px 1px #9c9c9c;
 -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 1px #9c9c9c;
 box-shadow: 0 2px 1px #9c9c9c;
}

#menu li
{
 float: left;
 padding: 0 0 10px 0;
 position: relative;
}

#menu a
{
 float: left;
 height: 25px;
 padding: 0 25px;
 color: #999;
 text-transform: uppercase;
 font: bold 12px/25px Arial, Helvetica;
 text-decoration: none;
 text-shadow: 0 1px 0 #000;
}

#menu li:hover > a
{
 color: #fafafa;
}

*html #menu li a:hover /* IE6 */
{
 color: #fafafa;
}

#menu li:hover > ul
{
 display: block;
}

/* Sub-menu */

#menu ul
{
    list-style: none;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    display: none;
    position: absolute;
    top: 35px;
    left: 0;
    z-index: 99999;
    background: #444;
    background: -moz-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
    background: -webkit-gradient(linear,left bottom,left top,color-stop(0, #111),color-stop(1, #444));
    background: -webkit-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
    background: -o-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
    background: -ms-linear-gradient(#444, #111);
    background: linear-gradient(#444, #111);
    -moz-border-radius: 5px;
    border-radius: 5px;
}

#menu ul li
{
    float: none;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    display: block;
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 0 #111111, 0 2px 0 #777777;
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 0 #111111, 0 2px 0 #777777;
    box-shadow: 0 1px 0 #111111, 0 2px 0 #777777;
}

#menu ul li:last-child
{
    -moz-box-shadow: none;
    -webkit-box-shadow: none;
    box-shadow: none;
}

#menu ul a
{
    padding: 10px;
 height: auto;
    line-height: 1;
    display: block;
    white-space: nowrap;
    float: none;
 text-transform: none;
}

*html #menu ul a /* IE6 */
{
 height: 10px;
 width: 150px;
}

*:first-child+html #menu ul a /* IE7 */
{
 height: 10px;
 width: 150px;
}

#menu ul a:hover
{
    background: #0186ba;
 background: -moz-linear-gradient(#04acec,  #0186ba);
 background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#04acec), to(#0186ba));
 background: -webkit-linear-gradient(#04acec,  #0186ba);
 background: -o-linear-gradient(#04acec,  #0186ba);
 background: -ms-linear-gradient(#04acec,  #0186ba);
 background: linear-gradient(#04acec,  #0186ba);
}

#menu ul li:first-child a
{
    -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 0 0;
    border-radius: 5px 5px 0 0;
}

#menu ul li:first-child a:after
{
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    left: 30px;
    top: -8px;
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    border-left: 5px solid transparent;
    border-right: 5px solid transparent;
    border-bottom: 8px solid #444;
}

#menu ul li:first-child a:hover:after
{
    border-bottom-color: #04acec;
}

#menu ul li:last-child a
{
    -moz-border-radius: 0 0 5px 5px;
    border-radius: 0 0 5px 5px;
}

/* Clear floated elements */
#menu:after
{
 visibility: hidden;
 display: block;
 font-size: 0;
 content: " ";
 clear: both;
 height: 0;
}

#menu ul li:first-child a:after
{
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    left: 30px;
    top: -8px;
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    border-left: 5px solid transparent;
    border-right: 5px solid transparent;
    border-bottom: 8px solid #444;
}

#menu ul li:first-child a:hover:after
{
    border-bottom-color: #04acec;
} 

CSS3 menu with Example

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a good looking menu using CSS3.
First write your html structure in your body part as below.

HTML:

<div class="nav">
<ul>
  <li><a href="#"><span>Home</span></a></li>
  <li><a href="#"><span>Categories</span></a></li>
  <li><a href="#"><span>About</span></a></li>
  <li><a href="#"><span>Portfolio</span></a></li>
  <li><a href="#"><span>Contact</span></a></li>
</ul>

& then in your css page write fallowing css property:

.nav ul
{
 padding: 0;
 margin: 0;
 list-style: none;
}

.nav li
{
 float: left;
} 

.nav a
{
    float: left;
    color: #eee;
    margin: 0 5px;
    padding: 3px;
    text-decoration: none;
    border: 1px solid #831608;
    font: bold 14px Arial, Helvetica;
    background-color: #831608;
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#bb413b, #831608);
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#bb413b), to(#831608));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#bb413b, #831608);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#bb413b, #831608);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(#bb413b, #831608);
    background-image: linear-gradient(#bb413b, #831608);
    -moz-border-radius: 5px;
    -webkit-border-radius: 5px;
    border-radius: 5px;
    text-shadow: 0 -1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.8);
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3), 0 3px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) inset;
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3), 0 3px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) inset;
    box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3), 0 3px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7), 0 2px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) inset;
}

.nav a:hover
{
    background-color: #bb413b;
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#831608, #bb413b);
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#831608), to(#bb413b));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#831608, #bb413b);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#831608, #bb413b);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(#831608, #bb413b);
    background-image: linear-gradient(#831608, #bb413b);
}

.nav a:active
{
    background: #bb413b;
    position: relative;
    top: 2px;
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7) inset;
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7) inset;
    box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7) inset;
}

.nav span
{
    border: 1px dashed #eba1a3;
    display: inline-block;
    padding: 4px 15px;
    cursor: pointer;
    background-color: #bb413b;
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#d4463c, #aa2618);
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#d4463c), to(#aa2618));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#d4463c, #aa2618);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#d4463c, #aa2618);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(#d4463c, #aa2618);
    background-image: linear-gradient(#d4463c, #aa2618);
}

.nav a:hover span
{
    background-color: #bb413b;
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(#aa2618, #d4463c);
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, from(#aa2618), to(#d4463c));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(#aa2618, #d4463c);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(#aa2618, #d4463c);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(#aa2618, #d4463c);
    background-image: linear-gradient(#aa2618, #d4463c);
}