2021-09-18

History of Indian Arts

 

India, Bharat, or Hindustan call this country by any name; being part of a rich and diverse country is always a proud feeling. India's Art and Culture is more than enough to show the world its diversity. Each state, city or town has different versions for the same art! Fascinating, right?

Performing Arts and Visual Arts are two broad categorisations of Indian Art. Where Dance, Drama and Music are a part of Performing Arts, on the other hand, paintings, sculptures, architecture defines Visual Arts. While talking about the Performing Arts & Visual Arts, thousand years ago we had in the past different definitions for the Performing Arts and Visual Arts which was the the 64 Arts or Kalas or the “Chathushasti Kalas” where the art was not just confined to Music, Dance & Theatre but people learned the art of cooking, art of making Rangoli, art of making jewels, art of playing music in water and so on.

Indian Arts date back to prehistoric settlements in the 3rd Millenium BC. The Performing Arts had its root in the 2nd Century when Sage Bharata wrote the bible of Indian Dance, drama and music – The Natya Shastra. For today's discussion, we will focus on the History of Indian Music and Dance.
Indian Classical Music is in practice for thousands of years as a form of meditation and worship. However, post 5th Century, the two branches of Indian Classical Music, Hindustani and Carnatic music was introduced to the world.
Hindustani music, which is more prevalent in Northern India, was influenced by the Muslim invaders. Hence we find many Sufi singers, Ghazal gayaks in India. Some prominent names associated with Hindustani Music are Amir Khusro (13th century) and Miyan Tansen (16th century).

Thyagaraja Swamy, Muthuswamy Dheekshitar and Shyama Shastri – called as “The Trinity of Carnatic music” are some of the saints whose names are associated with Carnatic music, which, like Hindustani music, was influenced by the Bhakti traditions to sing the praises of the Almighty. However, post-Mughal invasion, the diversion was seen in Indian Classical music as well.
The oldest treatise about the practice of Natyam or The Theatre is found in Natya Shastra, written by Sage Bharata.

Na tat Jnanam Na tat Shilpam Na sa Vidyaa Na sa Kalaa

Na sau Yogo Na tat Karman Naatye asmin Yanna Drishyate

“There is no knowledge (Jnana), craft (Shilpa), science (Vidya), art (Kala), yoga or action (Karma) that does not fall within the purview of Performing Arts” – says Bharata in his Natyashastra. In Indian Mythology, we encounter Lord Shiva performing Tandav or Lord Krishna playing Raas with the Gopis. The stone scriptures and cave paintings from the palaeolithic and neolithic caves are fantastic examples of the presence of Dance in India for centuries. With time and invasions by the Mughals, Portuguese, French and the British, Indian Classical Dance lost its authentic nature. For example, some of the traditions, like the Temple Dancing Traditions which were performed by the “Devadasis” (temple dancers), were banned during the British Rule.
There was a time when Indian Classical Music and Dance was frowned upon. However, the last two decades have seen a steady rise in the popularity of Indian Classical Music and Dance among the Western Art industry as well. The great stalwards like Rugmini Devi Arundale, Vempatti Chinna Master, Birju Mahaaraj, Kelucharan Mahopatra and many more legends in Indian dance & music cannot be ignored who were responsible for the revival of Indian Traditional Arts and keeping it live till today. As a result, even those from the current generation of Indians who had no idea about the art forms are presently interested in learning and exploring about them.

With this positive note, we urge you to come and visit us at Antara to help you and your kids understand Indian Culture and Art.