Indian Dancer

India is known all over the world for its rich cultural heritage. It is a land of diverse religions and each state of the country beautifully displays its distinct cultural legacy. Dance is one of the unique cultural aspects of all Indians. The charm and grace of the Classical dance of India is truly inexplicable.

The classical dance performances of India will surely take you to a different world of pleasure. Classical Dance is one of the two leading dance forms of the country. Another leading dance form being the folk dance. Where classical dances are mostly associated with the temple culture, folk dances on the other hand are more identified and inclined with locales.

The essence of the Classical Dances of India is both spiritual and aesthetic. These dances are more or less performed to pray and please Goddess. The main element of the classical dance forms is allied with that of myths, philosophical explanations, symbolism and other mystic responses.

The elegant body movements including hands, neck and eyes add a distinctive flavor to this dance form. Moreover, eye and facial expressions, costumes, jewelry and postures also add a unique essence to this enchanting art. It adds an ethnic aspect that makes it more and more charming for the audience. The dance performances are carried forward by skillful dancers to offer remarkable experience for the audience.

If we look back to the journey of classical dance in India we will find that only 6 main classical dance forms have developed in its 2000 years history. Today, according to the Sangeet Natak Academy, one of the premier institutions of dance and drama in the country, there are eight prominent classical dance forms. These include Bharatnatyam that originated from Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Sattriya of the state Assam, Katak of Northern India, Kathakali and Mohiniattam of Kerala, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh and lastly Manipuri Dance of Manipur.

Bharata’s natyashastra or the authoritative text of Indian drama includes the major attributes and guidelines of the Indian Drama. This particular treatise also provides you two significant aspects of pure dance, interpretative dance or dance Nritya. In addition, Abhinaya Darpanam also considered Indian dance bible offers you all the fundamental rules related to each technique.

The rosogolla is perhaps the most famous among all Bengali sweets. Sandesh comes a close second. Made from chhana, fresh cottage cheese, rosogolla and sandesh are examples of the uniqueness of Bengali sweets. Did you know the person famed for preparing sandesh for the first time was Nakur Moyra? Or that the sweet ladikeni was named after Lady Canning, in whose honor it was first prepared?

The classic examples of sweets from Bengal include those prepared in the household kitchens. The women of the house were expert cooks and were known for different kinds of sweets like patishapta (a roll made from rice flour with a filling of khowa kheer), payesh (kheer with rice), chandra puli (half-moon shaped sweets made from coconut), narkel naru (ladoos made from coconut) and so on.

Mishti doi, or sweetened yogurt, is considered one of the essentials of the dessert sections on auspicious occasions. Special occasions in Bengali households also mean the preparation of an array of special sweets. The most common among them is the malpoa. Made from semolina and flour, malpoas are fried and then dipped in thickened sugar syrup for that particular taste.

And who can forget the taste of pithes prepared by our moms and grandmas on special occasions? The wrapped pithes were usually made from rice flour and the filling inside ranged from sweetened khowa to a thickened coconut filling flavored with jaggery. Pithes were often accompanied by sweetened kheer or light liquid jaggery. The variations also included shapes like stars, crescent, and so on.

Bengali cuisine is known for its wide variety. This same variety is evident in its dessert section as well. Bengali sweets are known for their variety and also for the ways, in which the diverse ingredients were used, be it chhana or coconut.