Everything You Need To Know About Odissi, One Of India's Ancient Classical Dance Forms

Dance is one of the best forms of expression there is and India is blessed with many dance forms, each one more beautiful than the other. One such form is Odissi. This classical Indian dance style is the traditional dance of Odisha.

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Initially called 'Odra-Nritya,' Odissi is a dance form that's not just popular in India but also appreciated all over the world. It is a perfect example of great body movements, expressions, and gestures. Its performance collection includes an invocation, nrita, nritya, natya, and moksha.

The themes of this dance come from Vaishnavism and others associated with Hindu gods and goddesses like Shiva, Surya and Shakti.

Odissi is comprised of four kinds of music: Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchal.

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History of Odissi dance form

Odissi also called Orissi came into existence in the Hindu temples of the eastern coastal state of Odisha in India. As India is known for art and culture Odissi dance form was held in great esteem before the 17th century and even the royalty was expected to be expert dancers.

Its history can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit Hindu text called 'Natya Shastra¡¯ which deals with different performing arts. According to the sources, it owes its origin to the temple dances of Devadasis.

We are all aware of the temples of Orissa and various carvings displaying various forms of dance postures as well as erotic carvings which is clear evidence of the dance forms in the ancient Orissa.

Orissapost

Odissi dance pays great importance to Lord Jagannath who is considered to be the god of the universe and is worshipped by the people of Orissa.

It is believed that emperor Kharavela enjoyed this dance form which can be justified by the cave engraving near Udayagiri who is believed to popularise this dance form to a great extent during his reign.

However, during the Mughal era the dancers were only looked at as temple dancers. They used to entertain the royal courts and this is how the focus of their status shifted but regained its reputation after the end of Mughal era.

What is special about the dance form?

The foremost reason as to why is it special is because of the beautiful costumes and expressions that dancers wear when they perform. The sight itself is captivating enough just like the dance form. The sarees that dancers wear are mostly bright in colours like purple, orange, green and red that are accompanied by traditional borders with fine embroidery work and some sparkling embellishments which sets them apart. The two most commonly used sarees for this dance are Sambalpuri saree and Bomkai saree.

On top of all this, jewellery that is mostly silver unlike other dance attires that use gold, adds to the charm of the whole dance form. The waistband is another must-add.

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Odissi now

This particular dance form is now globally recognised and it entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2012 after 560 Indian Odissi dancers gave a performance together to create a new record.

They gave a memorable dance performance at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Orissa. The performance enthralled the audience and gave voice to the Indian dance culture worldwide which is a sense of pride for every Indian.

Did you know that that there is a 23-second-long clip of this dance form in the late Michael Jackson¡¯s music video ¡®Black or white?'

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Some of the famous Odissi dancers are Sonal Mansingh, Jhelum Paranjape, Mayadhar Raut, Gangadhar Pradhan and Leana Citaristi who enriched our lives with their beautiful performances.

Here is the video of the dance: