Dancers and Musicians

Dancers and Musicians

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period,5th Century CE

            Dance has an ancient ancestry in India. Said to originate from Lord Shiva,  it is a sacred art which began in the temples and ended in the market.  The "Dancing Girl " from Indus Valley Civilisation  (2500 BCE) is the first glimpse of this art form in India.  In 2nd Century BCE  Bharat Muni is said to have written the first book on Dramatology called the Bharat Natya Shastra.  He dealt extensively with dance. 

            Dance is an expression of joy, of love, of celebration.  It is part of human nature. The movement of the body frees the mind from its captivity and releases myriad energies. According to the Darwishes it is a medium of communication with God. 

           To the Indian dancer, dance is a form of worship  where the dancer surrenders himself/ herself to the diety.  It is a sublime prayer. 

            But here we see a court dancer entertaining King Mahajanak in a Jataka story. While the dancer sways to the music of flutes, drums and cymbals, the ladies orchestra plays on. Although stitched clothes were an exception in ancient India,  but here the dancer is in a tunic. Surprisingly the musicians are all women. This painting is a testimony of the talents of our women and of the liberal attitude of the society to permit women to learn music. 

            But slowly the classical dance and music are fading away, just the way this painting has faded away.