Instrument that makes odissi dance more beautiful

Odissi dance instruments

Odissi Sangita comprises four classes of music namely Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchal, described in the above-mentioned texts. The chief Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi. Odissi Sangita (music) is a synthesis of four classes of music, i.e. Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchal, described in the above-mentioned texts. The Dhruvapada is the first line or lines to be sung repeatedly.

 Chitrapada means the arrangement of words in an alliterative style. The use of art in music is called Chitrakala. Kavisurya Baladev Rath, the renowned Oriya poet wrote lyrics, which are the best examples of Chitrakala. All of these were combined to form the style that's peculiar to Odissi music.

Jayadeva, the saint-poet, the great composer and illustrious master of classical music, has immense contribution to Odissi music. During his time Odra-Magadhi style music got shaped and achieved its classical status. He indicated the classical ragas prevailing at that time in which these were to be sung. Prior to that there was the tradition of Chhanda which was simple in musical outline. 

From the 16th century onwards, treatises on music were Sangitamava Chandrika, Gita Prakasha, Sangita Kalalata and Natya Manorama. A couple of treatise namely, Sangita Sarani and Sangi Narayana, were also written in the early path of the 19th century. Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line.

Odissi Sangita comprises four classes of music namely Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchal, described in the above-mentioned texts. The chief Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi. Odissi Sangita (music) is a synthesis of four classes of music, i.e. Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchal, described in the above-mentioned texts. The Dhruvapada is the first line or lines to be sung repeatedly.

 Chitrapada means the arrangement of words in an alliterative style. The use of art in music is called Chitrakala. Kavisurya Baladev Rath, the renowned Oriya poet wrote lyrics, which are the best examples of Chitrakala. All of these were combined to form the style that's peculiar to Odissi music.

Jayadeva, the saint-poet, the great composer and illustrious master of classical music, has immense contribution to Odissi music. During his time Odra-Magadhi style music got shaped and achieved its classical status. He indicated the classical ragas prevailing at that time in which these were to be sung. Prior to that there was the tradition of Chhanda which was simple in musical outline. 

From the 16th century onwards, treatises on music were Sangitamava Chandrika, Gita Prakasha, Sangita Kalalata and Natya Manorama. A couple of treatise namely, Sangita Sarani and Sangi Narayana, were also written in the early path of the 19th century. Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line.

A special feature of Odissi music is the padi which consists of words to be sung in Druta Tala (fast beat). Odissi music can be sung to different talas: Navatala (nine beats), Dashatala (ten beats) or Egartala (eleven beats). Odissi ragas are different from the ragas of Hindustani and Karnataki classical music. The primary Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi. Odissi music is sung through Raganga, Bhabanga and Natyanga Dhrubapadanga followed by Champu, Chhanda, Chautisa, Pallabi, Bhajan, Janana, and Gita Govinda, which are considered to be a part of the repertoire of Odissi or an allied act form of Odissi. 

Odissi music has codified grammars, which are presented with specified Raagas. It has also a distinctive rendition style. It is lyrical in its movement with wave-like ornamentation. The pace of singing in Odissi is not very fast nor too slow, and it maintains a proportional tempo which is very soothing.

A good Odissi music composition must have following characteristics, 

1. Varitation of beat and pause. 

2. Use of "gamak" or "Andolan". 

3."Matu" meaning lucid presentation of composition. 

4. Efficient and pleasing expansion of the "Raaga" and "Geeta". 

5. Lucid and Melodious rendering of "Taan". 

6. Singing of special words and notes with novelty. 

7. Avoiding repeatition of same notes or compositions. 

8. Every sentence rendered with its unique quality, beautification and melody

Odissi terminology

Different terminologies are used during the practice of odissi dance performance they are as follows :-

Chanda:- In taal, this would be how the divisions of the taal are made e.g. in Adital (Odissi), the sixteen beats are divided into 4 groups of 4. So the Chanda for Adital is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4. This describes what the Bhagas are.

Anadha:- Hide category of the 4 musical divisions, e.g. Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum), Tabla, and Mridangam.

Asanjukta Dhvanis:- Sound created by striking the Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum) with one hand.

Goti:- These are barrel-shaped tension pegs made of wood which adorn the Mardala or Pakhawaj (Drum). The straps (Pitha) connecting the two apertures of the Mardala run over them. These pegs can be moved to either increase or decrease the tension of the leather membranes covering the two apertures of the Mardala and are useful in tuning it.

Gotipua:- Young boys trained in the fine art of Odissi dance. The Gotipuas were allowed to leave the temple and dance for the public. The current form of Odissi is heavily influenced by the Gotipua tradition (and also the temple carvings from Odisha.)

Avartan(a):- One complete cycle of a taal.

Bhajan:- It is any type of Indian devotional song and has no fixed form. It may be as simple as a Mantra or Kirtan or as sophisticated as the Dhrupad or Kriti with music based on classical Ragas and Talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine.

Alap:- It is the opening section of a typical Indian classical performance. It is unmetered, improvised (within the raga) and unaccompanied (except for the drone of the tanpura), and is started at a slow tempo.

Bani:- The spoken drum mnemonics. During dance performances Banis are spoken by the percussionist or the guru.

Bhaga:- In taal, this would be the groups the taal is divided into. Also the points on which the tali, or khali would be e.g., Adital (Odissi) is divided into 4 groups of 4 beats. It is said that Adital has 4 Bhagas. These are the measures.

Devadasis:- They were the original temple dancers who were "Servitress of God". They were dedicated to a deity or a temple. Apart from taking care of the temple and performing various rituals, these women learned and practiced Odissi dance, for dance and music were an essential part of temple worship. They enjoyed a high social status.

Gita Govinda:- Poet Jayadev's famous work depicting the relationship of Radha, Krishna and Gopis in Vrindavan. Themes from this work have a great significance towards the classical arts of India.

Khanda Ukutta:- When bani and ukuttas are formed together to make phrases. e.g., Kititaka Gadigana.

Mana:- The ending sequence that is repeated to designate that the ending of the piece or of a section that is typically in 3 repeats. People in Odisha interchangeably use Tihai and Mana, but they are the same.

Maharis or Devadasis:- The original temple dancers of Odisha, but now extinct. This is the root of Odissi dance that was later taught to young boys, Gotipuas. The style is now modernized and work is being done to preserve it.

POP ART OF PUPPETRY

“It is all about the magic blue, Vishnu and his celestial hue, Whenever in the world, Evil was a lot , And good was not, Vishnu who is god, Made a plot, And used in hue, To colour a chosen few”…………thus ran the jingle as the leitmotif the entire show. Inspired by the abiding Krishna mythology, Magic Blue was brought by thirteen children in the age group of 7-12 hand-in hand with seasoned puppeteers to take on the enthralled viewers through the wondrous world of men, gods and demons, in a breath-taking, interactive puppet-human spectacle.

 The tone is set by a quick-fire Dashavatar in a topsy-turvy array of vishnu’s first few incarnations with the ‘shadow’ cut-outs of fish, tortoise, boar and Narashima all peeping through the illumined, coloured screen and kids romping around in sync with the stylized images flashing in the rear. Then come Krishna and his adversarial serpent-demon Kaliya as the larger-than life composite puppets of fiery, sinewy kind in ‘black lamp’ glowing in the white-and-velvet, rather than in the conventional black hue. The demon Bakasur is a pre-historic figure made of reptilian features with monotonous pink beaks, white-foam wings and a body of hold creature comes flapping over the balcony above, or suddenly leaps from behind the stage-curtains.

The other demon Aghasur is an amalgam of frothy clouds of bubble-wrap, finally collapsing on the stage as an amorphous mass. the piece de-resistance is the ten-foot ouppet-kamsa-the humanoid demon, manipulated by four black veiled puppeteers in imitative Bunraku style- confronting a trio of highly agile, four-foot Krishnas. The gusto and bravado with which the little dancers fight all the four demons is absolutely infectious; obviously children frightfully enjoy killing demons! 

 In the words of petite Choreographer Shagun Butani, who was also the scriptwriter, “my children have all learnt Odissi for at least two years, besides seraikela Chhau and elements of modern dance. Combining even basic dance steps and gestures with large puppets and mystifying masks was a little surreal, but children now grew wonderfully into the interaction of gods, demons and men! Shyam banerji’s music, composed after the movements and choreography were all conceptualized, jelling really well, as sung by his 7 year old niece. My three senior students did the triple Krishna, weaving many choreographic patterns in the typical RASS LILA manner.”

Puppet dance known as Kandhei or Sakhi Nacha, a rare and unusual type of stylised indigenous drama and dance based on mythological stories, is being performed even today in various parts of Odisha (Formerly Orissa). The puppets are usually the representations of various characters and animals of a particular drama. It is difficult to speak anything about its origin but undoubtedly it is an old art. The making of dolls with paintings, dresses and ornaments is a typical folk art for the enjoyment of people of all categories. Together with puppets there evolved another art popularly known as the expressive shadow plays which has the added advantage of being able to cater to large audiences. The puppetry of Odisha (Formerly Orissa) may be classified into three categories, such as hand puppets, string puppets and rod puppets.