Dance as a Form of Worship

Dance is an exquisite art portrayed through music and movement. It is a very involved form of expression which uses the heart, mind, body, and senses; and in the case of Vedic dance- the soul.
In India dance is a way of worshipping God. The dance is treated like an offering to God and the movements are like prayers to please the Lord. There are other dances that are more like dance-dramas, where the actors or dancers re-enact the pastimes and stories of the various gods.

There are several types of traditional dance offerings that come from different parts of India, such as Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Sattriya, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, and Kathakali.


Odissi

Odissi (oh-di-see) comes from the state of Orissa, in eastern India by the Bay of Bengal. It is a very ancient dance form that was traditionally performed in the temples of Vishnu by the devdasis (women who would spend their entire lives in the temple serving the Lord with devotional dance offerings). There is evidence of the antiquity of Odissi on the ancient temples in Orissa, where many carvings depict the dancers in various traditional Odissi poses.
The costume is unique to other Indian dances in that the jewellery is almost always silver, instead of gold, and the female dancers wear crowns of white flowers in their hair, and the sarees are cotton handloom in the traditional Orissan style. This dance is gorgeously graceful. A good Odissi performance will take the audience's breath away with it's beauty and elegance.
Watch an Odissi performance.

Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam (ba-raat-nat-yum) comes from the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. This dance is characterized by elaborate hand gestures called mudras, fast-pace movement, and stamping of the feet. The costumes are traditionally made of colourful silk sarees with elaborate borders. This dance is performed by both men and women, although women tend to dominate it.
Like Odissi, Bharatanatyam is a dance of devotion and it was originally performed exclusively in the temples as an offering to Vishnu. Over time the dance moved out of the temple halls and into the stages of the wealthy upper class of India.
Watch a Bharatanatyam performance.

Manipuri

Manipuri (maa-nee-poo-ree) comes from the state of Manipur in far east India. Manipuri dance is very sweet and graceful, and because Manipur is so close to China the dance has a hint of oriental style to it. The dancers wear elaborate costumes which are famous for the wide tube-like skirts and white veils. Most of the movement is in the hands and it is graceful like a flowing river.
Manipuri dance usually depicts Krishna and the gopis dancing together in the moonlight. This dance is called the Rasa Leela and is the most popular piece in Manipuri dance theatre.
See Manipuri dancing.

Sattriya

Sattriya is a dance from the state of Assam, in far east India. I don't know much about this dance form, in fact I only heard of it when I started writing this article! But I had to include it because it is one of the 8 classical Indian dances, and after watching a few videos I decided I like it.
Sattriya dancers wear traditional Assamese outfits with colourful prints and designs. The movement of the dance is soft and graceful, with many hand gestures and no stamping. It is a very elegant and gentle form of dance.
Watch a Sattriya performance.

Kathak

Kathak (kaa-tuck) comes from northern India. Kathak dance is different from the other types of dance beacause it has both Hindu and Muslim influences. Some say that the style of dance was a fusion of Indian and Persian culture and this is evident in the costume. Female Kathak dancers generally wear long flowing skirts over trousers and kamis tops, which are typical of Muslim outfits. The style of this dance has a lot of stamping with loud bells on the feet and and many pirouettes and spins. Kathak is especially famous for its spins. The dance is very fast pace and energetic. When the dancers spin their skirts flare out beautifully. A good Kathak dance is quite a spectacle.
Watch a Kathak performance.


Mohiniattam

Mohiniattam (mo-hee-nee-ah-tum) comes from the state of Kerala in south-west India. This dance is traditionally performed by women wearing beautiful white sarees with ornate gold borders. The costume is unique in that the women always wear their hair in a large bun to the side of their head.
Mohiniattam means "dance of the enchantress". It is given this name because the dance is inspired by the goddess Mohini, an avatar of Vishnu, who used her charms to enchant the demons and keep them away from the nectar of immortality. Therefore, the Mohiniattam style is identified by the slow, seductive movement of the hips and upper body, sweet smiling, and coy movements of the eyes.
Watch a Mohiniattam performance.

Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi (koo-chee-pu-dee) comes from the state of Andhra Pradesh in south-east India. The dance costume is very similar to that of Bharatanatyam, and the dancers are usually tall and slender (compared to Odissi dancers). The movements are quick and rounded. Kuchipudi is very unique in that the dancers sometimes dance on brass plates, balancing on the raised edges.
Kuchipudi also has devotional roots and is something of a dance-drama. The dancers perform tales of Shiva, Krishna, etc. with dramatic expressions and movements.
Watch a Kuchipudi performance.

Kathakali

Kathakali (kaa-ta-kaa-lee) also comes from Kerala in south-west India. Kathakali is more of a drama than a dance, but is performed to music and rhythm. The Kathakali costume is very colourful; the actors paint their faces in bright colours, wear large heavy headresses, and huge fluffy dresses. The actors are usually men.
Kathakali performances re-enact stories like the Ramayana, Krishna Leela, and tales of various gods and goddesses.
Watch a Kathakali performance.


There are other types of dance that sprout from India, many having roots from vedic literature.

Apsaras

Apsaras are celestial nymphs who dance in the court Indra, the King of Heaven. They are famous for their talent and extraordinary beauty.
In Cambodia and parts of Indonesia there are women called Apsaras who are trained to dance gracefully and beautifully. They wear gorgeous crowns and slim, body-fitting dresses with gorgeous ornaments and flowers in their hair. This type of dance is very soft and gentle, most of the movement is in the hands. There is absolutely no stamping feet and jumping around, the girls remain poised throughout the dance.
Watch the Apsaras performing.


The Rasa Leela

The Rasa Leela is a dance which was originally performed by Krishna and the beautiful gopis of Vraja about 3000 years BC. This is the most famous dance in all of India and different variations of it are performed by the different schools of dance. Folk dancers generally perform the Rasa Leela using wooden sticks and tapping them together. This is a very sweet and simple dance, and became famous worldwide due to the film Lagaan, which has a Rasa Leela stick dance scene.
Watch the Kuchipudi version of Rasa Leela.


One of my drawings, the painting of the dancer above is also done by me.

Dancer in Vrindavan

*All photos are taken by Sanatan John Howchin.

The Amazing Amar Chitra Katha Comics

Amar Chitra Katha is a company that publishes comic books about Indian legends, history, folktales and fables. The artists and writers take pains to be as accurate as possible, and stay true to the stories and histories of India's magnificent past. For decades it has entertained and educated children (and adults) all over India. Now, with the invention of the internet, it is much easier to distribute these wonderful books worldwide.


When I was a child I collected Amar Chitra Katha comic books. I had quite a big collection by the time i was twelve, and I loved these books so much I could read every book over and over again. I used to look at every picture and I would think that someday I would be able to draw like that. My style of art is really inspired by these comic books.
To be honest, it was by reading these comics that I learned many of the stories about Krishna and his associates. Amar Chitra Katha have a vast collection of stories from India's ancient past, and have even made comic book versions of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita.
It was by reading Amar Chitra Katha that I learned about the descent of the Ganga, the story of how Parvati won Shiva's heart, how Ganesha appeared, the story of Mirabai, how the Pandavas won back their kindgom, and many other tales about India's heroes.

Unfortunately I lost all my books when I moved, but I've started my collection up again. At the moment I only have 6 Amar Chitra Katha comics:

• Mirabai: The story of the princess who became a saint and could not be stopped from worshipping her beloved Krishna.

• Krishna and Rukmini: The story of how Krishna rescued a princess from a horrible marriage and took her for his own (very romantic).

• Anirudha: The story of Krishna's grandson and a great battle that began as a result of his love for the beautiful princess Usha.

• Ganga: The story of the Goddess Ganga and how she came to earth.

• The Ramayana: A comic book version of Valmiki's great epic.

• Heroes from the Mahabharata: A collection of tales about certain individual heroes who participated in India's great epic battle at Kurukshetra.
  

It's not so easy to get these books in the west. I've only ever seen them for sale either in select Indian shops or on the web. But you can get them in almost any bookshop in India.
These books are really great. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to know a little more about the stories of ancient India in a fun, easy-to-read way. And of course, the illustrations are fabuloso!


Click here to get a collection of Amar Chitra Katha on amazon.com

What Are They Wearing?

Ah, fashion! And how it differs from one culture to another is amazing. One may wonder what this has to do with anything, but let me explain.

The paintings and drawings I show in this blog depict various people wearing what you might call "traditional Indian" or "vedic" clothing. This usually consists of men wearing a dhoti and women wearing sarees.

Most paintings and sculptures of Krishna that I have seen show Him wearing a dhoti. This is a long single piece of material that is artfully wrapped around to make a kind of "trouser". This vedic outfit still survives in India to this day and is worn by many men as an everyday item. For special occasions men might wear a silk dhoti or a dhoti with a very ornate border. ( How to wear a dhoti. )

An interesting side note: the simple, traditional, vedic dhoti is also shown in ancient Egyptian art! The Egyptians seem to have worn a shorter version of the dhoti, what Indians might call a lungi. Here is a fresco found in an ancient building depicting a hunting scene, and the Egyptian in the foreground is clearly wearing a lungi. Were the Egyptians part of that wonderful vedic culture? Did they trade with the ancient Indians? I'd like to think so :)

Anyway, getting back on track. Sarees are the most popular dress for Indian women. A saree is a very long piece of cloth that wraps around the body in a most beautiful way. It's a long thing explaining it but if you're interested you can watch this video on how to put on a saree.
However, Radha is a gopi (cowherd girl) and so she is almost always depicted wearing a skirt and choli with a dupatta. Gopis are milkmaids and wear something I like to call "countryside" couture. This style of dress is very popular in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, India. Wheareas sarees were more like "city" gear, usually worn by the upper class. But now nearly every woman in India wears a saree, regardless of caste, status, region, etc.

The type of dress that Radha wears is called a ghagra choli, lehenga, or more simply gopi skirt.


There is some argument about whether in Vedic times women wore cholis, because some say that it is an Arab invention. Many ancient Indian paintings and sculptures depict women wearing a small, single piece of cloth tied around the breasts (what us modern women might call a "boob tube") with a saree or skirt. It is said that Indian women didn't incorporate the choli into their costume until the Muslims invaded, then it sort of seeped into the culture. More recent paintings of Radha show her wearing and choli. Whether all this is true or not, I don't know.


Artist Raja Ravi Varma, 19th century painter from Kerala, India, incorporates both the choli and the "boob tube" in his paintings of women. Although, it seems he only paints the tube on forest women and ascetics, whereas city women and goddesses wear cholis.
To the left is one of Varma's paintings, and you can see that these forest women are not wearing cholis but the more primitive, or shall I say simplistic, alternative.

I especially like Varma's paintings because they are a wonderful blend of east-meets-west. Traditional Indian art tends to be quite stylized, from the voluptuous carvings on the ancient temples to the beautiful paintings of the Mughals and Rajputs.


B.G. Sharma is an artist who's work follows the tradition of Mughal, Kishangarh, and Kangra paintings of old. His paintings of Radha and Krishna are famous worldwide, and he is possibly one of the most renowned artists of his tradition.

His paintings of Radha always have very ornate cholis and skirts decorated with wonderful prints, reminiscent of Mughal textiles. In this painting Krishna is not wearing a dhoti but a very fancy outfit, generally associated with the Rajasthani tradition of dressing Krishna, made up of trousers and a large flowing skirt. This type of outfit incorporates an ornate large headdress that is also typical of this tradition. But until the Muslim invasion of India this style was not invented.

Sharma has a really gorgeous book with his paintings of Radha and Krishna. Form of Beauty: The Krishna Art of B.G.Sharma

Radha Krishna and the Eight Principle Gopis
Murlidhara Das, 1984

This is a famous painting, ( I did not paint this, just to make things clear) which I have loved very much since childhood. The artist has done a wonderful job of displaying the mood of Radha and Krishna, and also the beautiful clothes everyone is wearing. Here you can see the dhoti that Krishna is wearing and the beautiful skirts, cholis, and dupattas donned by the gopi girls.

The Beginning

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

I think since this is all about my "art and mind" I should begin with some of my artwork and what its all about.
I am an artist and I paint all kinds of different things, but my heart will always be with Radha and Krishna: the most beautiful, most divine couple in the universe and beyond.

Let me explain. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (aka God) and is usually associated with the "Hindu" (more specifically Vaishnava) tradition. He has many names and many incarnations: Vishnu, Rama, Buddha, Balaji, Govinda, Jagannatha etc etc. Krishna means "the all attractive one" in sanskrit. All over India, and now in many countries all over the world, Krishna is worshipped lovingly and devotedly in His many forms.

Radha is Krishna's divine energy, or His female counterpart. She also has many forms and incarnations, like Lakshmi and Sita. Radha and Krishna are completely in love and devoted to each other, and this love is more beautiful and true than anything else in the world. It is this love that has me completely enchanted, and this is why I must always paint and draw Radha and Krishna in their many different forms.

So, that's my really brief intro, but I will be writing lots more about this as I go along. I will also share all the beautiful stories I know about Radha and Krishna so I can help others understand why I love them so much.
I will also be writing about lots of other things that may or may not relate to this subject, whatever is on my mind at the time. Hopefully someone will find this interesting.

Okay, now that I've done that little intro I'll show you some of my artwork.


Krishna Plays His Flute for Radha




Here are two verses from the Brahma Samhita (the song Brahma sang when he saw the beauty of the spiritual world: the world of Krishna) describing Krishna (Govinda).

Text 30

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids."

Text 31

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Syamasundara is eternally manifest."

More Brahma Samhita



As you can see, I've done my best to follow the scipture and paint Krishna exactly how Brahma describes. In this painting I've portrayed Krishna in a relaxed position, leaning against a tree by the banks of the river Yamuna (more on her later). Radha is sitting opposite Him, listening intently and captivated by the beauty of Her beloved.

It is said in the Krishna Book (tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, a vedic text), that when Krishna played His flute all the animals, trees, and creatures would stop moving and just listen in bliss. When the gopis (cowherd girls) would hear the sound of Krishna's flute their hearts would melt and they would stop all other activities just to listen to the wonderful music. The sound of Krishna's flute would drive them mad and they would run away from their homes in search of Krishna.

Such was the nectar of Krishna's pastimes.