Mudras

A dance is made up of several korvais put together; a korvai is made up of several adavus put together and adavus are composed of mudras and mandalas, which I mentioned in an earlier post. In this post I'll be talking about what a mudra is, why it is used and the different types of mudras used in Bharatanatyam.

A mudra is simply a hand gesture. It is used to express a feeling, an idea or a story to the audience, visually, without using any words. This applies to a Niruthiyam dance. In a Nirutham dance, mudras are used to create aesthetic pleasure and to accompany the leg movements.

Many mudras together form hastas, or hand movements, which depict certain things. Form example, Deva hasta is a group of hastas used to portray different gods like Indra, Agni, etc. Also, one mudra may have several viniyogas, which means meanings or uses. These terms will be explained in upcoming posts.

There are two different types of mudras in Bharatanatyam, Asamyutha Hastas and Samyutha Hasthas. Asamyutha means single-handed and Samyutha means double-handed. There are many different hand gestures, but right now, only 28 single-handed ones and 24 double-handed ones are used. 

Thandavam

Thandavam consists of fast and forceful foot movements, quick turning, majestic appearance and intricate foot movements. It belongs to the element of dance, Nirutham. It contains many different beautiful and sculptural poses. This dance cannot be performed in split up portions. It should be performed with vigour and intense energy, in accordance with the song and rhythm. It is said that this dance was only danced by men, in the ancient times. 

It was originally performed by Lord Shiva, in the 'avatar' of Lord Nataraja, during 'Srishti', meaning creation, and 'Pralaya', meaning destruction. It was also performed in instances such as destroying 'Apasmaar', who is ignorance personified, after his first consort Goddess Sati's self immolation, etc. Other gods such as Saraswati, Brahma, Vishnu, Lakshmi and Indra play accompanying instruments and sing Shiva's Stotras or praises. When Shiva performs the Thandavam, Parvati, his consort, dances the graceful Lasyam along with him, to sustain a balance.

At the beginning, there were 108 different Thandavams (they will be listed below). Then they were reduced to 64 Thandavams, and now finally have become 7 principle Thandavams, collectively known Sapta Thandavams. They are the Gauri Thandavam, Tripura Thandavam, Samkara Thandavam, Ananda Thandavam, Santhiya Thandavam, Kalika Thandavam and Urthuva Thandavam.

The 108 Thandavams are:

ThalapushpapudamThandavam

VarthithamThandavam

LalithorukamThandavam

AbaviththamThandavam

SamangamThandavam

LeenamThandavam

SwasthikareshithamThandavam

ManadalashswasthikamThandavam

NiruttakamThandavam

ArththaniruttakamThandavam

KadichchinnamThandavam

ArththareshithagamThandavam

VasashwashthikamThandavam

UnthmaththagamThandavam

ShwashtikamThandavam

BirushtaswashthikamThandavam

ThiksswashthikamThandavam

AlaathakamThandavam

KadeesamamThandavam

AshipthareshithamThandavam

VishipthashipthakamThandavam

ArththaswasthikamThandavam

AnchithamThandavam

BujangathrashithamThandavam

OorththuvajanuThandavam

NigunjithamThandavam

MaththalliThandavam

ArththamaththalliThandavam

ReshithaniguttithamThandavam

PaathaabaviththamThandavam

LalithamThandavam

KoornithamThandavam

LalithamThandavam

ThandabatchamThandavam

BujangathrasthareshithamThandavam

NooburamThandavam

SyvasagareshithamThandavam

BrahmaragamThandavam

SadhuramThandavam

BujankaanchithagamThandavam

ThandagareshithamThandavam

ViruchigakuttithamThandavam

KadippranthamThandavam

LathaviruchagamThandavam

SinnamThandavam

ViruchigareshithamThandavam

ViruchigamThandavam

IvyamsithamThandavam

ParsuvaniguttagamThandavam

LalaadathilagamThandavam

KiranthagamThandavam

KunchithamThandavam

SakramandalamThandavam

UromandalamThandavam

AashibthamThandavam

ThalavilasithamThandavam

ArkkalamThandavam

VitchipthamThandavam

AavarththamThandavam

DolaapaathamThandavam

VivirththamThandavam

VinivirththamThandavam

PaatchuvakraanthamThandavam

NisthambithamThandavam

VithyuthpranthamThandavam

AthikranthamThandavam

VivarththikamThandavam

GajakreedithagamThandavam

ThalasamspodithamThandavam

GarudapluthagamThandavam

GandasoosiThandavam

ParivirththamThandavam

PaarsuvajanuThandavam

KiruthravaleenagamThandavam

SannathamThandavam

SoosiThandavam

ArththasoosiThandavam

SoosiviththamThandavam

AbakraanthamThandavam

MayooralalithamThandavam

SarppithamThandavam

ThandapaathamThandavam

HarinapluthamThandavam

PrengkolithamThandavam

NithambamThandavam

SkalithamThandavam

KarihasthagamThandavam

PrasarppithagamThandavam

SimmavikreedithamThandavam

SinkaakarshithagamThandavam

UthruththamThandavam

UbasirythagamThandavam

ThalasangkattithamThandavam

AynithamThandavam

AvakiththagamThandavam

NivasamThandavam

ElakaakkireedithamThandavam

OoruthviruththamThandavam

MathaskalithamThandavam

VishnukkiraanthamThandavam

SampraanthamThandavam

VishkambamThandavam

UthkattithamThandavam

VirushabakkireedithamThandavam 

LolithamThandavam

NagaapasarppithamThandavam

SagadasyamThandavam

GangavatharanamThandavam