Origin of Bharata Natyam
Hinduism comprises of a trinity of three main Gods, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. It is believed that when some of the lesser known gods approached Lord Brahma for an enjoyable pastime, Lord Brahma combined the four Vedas (sacred texts) and created a fifth Veda and called it the Natyaveda. Lord Brahma then commissioned Sage Bharata to popularize this Veda on earth. The lyrical patterns from the Rig Veda, gestures from the Yajur Veda, melody from the Sama Veda and emotional sentiments from the Atharva Veda were beautifully fused to form the Natyaveda. Written by Sage Bharata, the Natyaveda came to be known as the Natyashastra which means the science of stagecraft. The Natyashastra is therefore a comprehensive body of knowledge and an authoritative source that forms the basis for all forms of classical Indian dance, drama, and music in relation to dance and drama.
In the Indian mythology, Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. Legend has it that Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvathi danced in the Golden Hall of the Chidambaram temple located in Chidambaram a town located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The performance was accompanied by many musical instruments played by many other gods and goddesses. The dance of Lord Shiva was ecstatic, sculpturesque, brisk, full of vigor and speed and came to be called the Tandava dance. The dance of Goddess Parvathi was gentle, graceful, and feminine and came to be known as Lasya. In a dance duel that ensued at the end of a performance by the two of them, Lord Shiva emerged victorious and was declared “Nata Raja” meaning the King of Dance. The Tandava dance of Lord Nataraja ranged from being very violent (Rudra Tandava) to being very happy called the (Ananda Tandava).
In the Indian mythology, Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. Legend has it that Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvathi danced in the Golden Hall of the Chidambaram temple located in Chidambaram a town located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The performance was accompanied by many musical instruments played by many other gods and goddesses. The dance of Lord Shiva was ecstatic, sculpturesque, brisk, full of vigor and speed and came to be called the Tandava dance. The dance of Goddess Parvathi was gentle, graceful, and feminine and came to be known as Lasya. In a dance duel that ensued at the end of a performance by the two of them, Lord Shiva emerged victorious and was declared “Nata Raja” meaning the King of Dance. The Tandava dance of Lord Nataraja ranged from being very violent (Rudra Tandava) to being very happy called the (Ananda Tandava).