Magical Moves at the Majestic Courts of India

By siliconindia   |   Saturday, 11 February 2012, 01:14 IST   |    1 Comments
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Magical Moves at the Majestic Courts of India
Bangalore: Being a country of cultural heritage, India has a long history in every domain. In ancient India dancers performed in temples and that era saw the rise of the devdasi system. Dance forms saw radical changes with change in time. With Mughals coming to India, dance soared up to a different level. Kathak as a dance form raised popularity in Mughal kingdom. Though the dance form was actually much established in northern part of the country, still it was practiced as a fusion of Hindu and Muslim in that period. The era of intense worship of Radha-Krishna was acknowledged as the Bhakti-era. Kathak was the dance form used to narrate the tales from their lives. The dance obtained different characteristics when it reached the Mughal court. This brought a lot of changes in the dance form, as the interest now drastically changed from religious to entertainment. The dance form in the Middle East has borrowed certain ideas from Kathak, but with time, the two dances became one and formed a common link between the Muslim and Hindu cultures. To highlight the intricate footwork 150 ankle bells were worn on each leg and the signature chakkars were pioneered. Kathak witnessed a razor-sharp decline due to the British rule in India. The Victorian officers marked it as an objectionable form of entertainment regardless of the fact that they frequently confidentially enjoyed the pleasures of the tawaif. This reasoned the dance to gain an unpleasant image. After its period of reject during the British rule, Kathak has reclaimed its popularity today.

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