The origins of Odissi dance go back far into history, to a time when life, beauty, music and harmony were celebrated as divine manifestations and an important way to connect with God.

The sculptures at the still existing ancient temples at Konark, Puri and Bhubaneswar remain as a powerful testimony to those times. The graceful positions of the bodies are not veiled by clothes, and each and every pose emanate a great joy and pleasure.

The celebration of life and pleasure in dance was assimilated to the dance and music of the natural elements – the movements of the sun and the earth, the flowing of wind and water, the drifting of clouds, the waves of the sea, the hammering of rain,  the sudden hopping of lightening. Music and dance as harmonious and rhythmic movement were also exhibited by animals in various moments of their lives to express their emotions – peacocks and other birds, elephants, deer, lions, horses, and so on.

Hindu temples had special pavilions called Natya mandapas, or dance halls, and a number of dancers called Devadasis, “the female servants of the Lord”, performed during the main daily rituals for the pleasure of the Deities and also served the Deities in variety of ways, as for example fanning them.

These women were completely dedicated to the service of the Deity, considering themselves His wives or personal attendants. Such tradition was prevalent all over India, with clear archeological proofs in Kashmir, Bengal, Orissa, Saurastra, Rajasthan, Maharastra, Andhra, Mysore, Tamil nadu and Kerala.

In Puri, these female priestesses were called Maha Naris (“great women”) and with time the name became “Maharis”.  Another local name of the Devadasis was “nachuni”, or “dancer”. Several famous and very respected women consecrated themselves as Devadasis.

Dancing women were also accompanied by a small number of male dancers, and both male and female musicians, as we can see in the sculptures and bas reliefs of temples and archeological monuments.

According to the ancient Vedic culture, music and dance were extremely respected and considered divine arts, taught to mankind by Siva himself, who is also known by the name Nataraja, “king of dancers”.

The images of gods and goddesses are often depicted in dancing poses. This is very often the case of Siva and Sakti, Ganesa, and even Krishna and Radha – whose rasalila dance is considered the highest level of divine interaction.

In the tradition of Orissa, the most recurrent pose of dancing Siva is Bhairava, depicted with four faces and six arms holding the damaru (a small two-headed drum), the axe, a trident radiating flames, a japa mala, a bhiksapatra (alms bowl) and a vishapatra (poison bowl).

The art of dance and music is the characteristic occupation of the divine Gandharvas and Apsaras in the higher planetary systems, who constantly perform for the pleasure of the gods. One entire portion of the Vedic scriptures, the Gandharva sastra, deals with such arts, that have been raised to the level of sciences.

Such was the power of dance and music as expression of the higher sentiments of human beings, that even ascetic doctrines such as Jainism and Buddhism integrated dance and music into their system of values.

The culture and civilization of ancient Orissa was lively and strong, warrior-like and assertive, with a close relationship with the tribal cultures that still exist in several regions of the State.

This character is reflected in the figurative arts, in the ceremonial traditions and also in the dance style. Odissi dance is powerful and assertive, with ample space for masculine interpreters and motives, yet graceful and deep in the expression of sentiments and symbolism.

Interestingly, women dancers are also often portrayed in dance poses that are characteristically male, such as the “tandava” or Siva’s dance of destruction.

The particular importance of “balance” in Odissi dance and several acrobatic postures called “bandhas” also connect it with the practice of yoga. The extensive use of mudras also connects dance both to yoga and to the tantric method of ritual worship.

Dance has always been the main artistic expression of Indian culture, strictly connected with music, drama, poetry, symbolism and visual decoration and expression. The costume, ornaments, hair dressing and make up of the dancers are also very traditional.

Figures of dance have been amply represented in paintings and sculptures, palm leaf etching and all forms of figurative arts.

All festivals and festive occasions call for dance – from the seasonal harvest feasts to the celebration of the Ratha yatra, from marriages to the humble village entertainment shows.

In time, India was invaded by Muslims and then fell under the domination of the Christian British: both cultures minimized the role of women in religion. The dance of the Maharis became more and more reclusive and secret, and was performed only behind closed doors in the temples.

In the 15th century young boys started to be trained as dancers to perform in public instead of the Maharis, during festivals and celebrations. They came to be known as goti puas (“single boys”).

Gradually the Maharis became less and less respected, and due to lack of financial support they started to perform in the royal court and for wealthy patrons, to the point when they came to be considered on the same level of prostitutes.

Finally their service was discontinued by the temple administration.

In relatively recent times, a concerted effort has been made to reconstruct the original tradition of Odissi dance, both from scriptural evidence and from the teachings of the descendents of the dance teachers of the Maharis and the Gotipuas.

A number of dedicated scholars and artists have worked very hard to bring the proper recognition of Odissi dance as one of the main traditional classical dances of India – as confirmed by the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni, where Odissi is listed together with the ancient styles of dance such as Avanti, Dakhinatya, and Panchali.

The pillar of Odissi dance is certainly the famous Sanskrit poem Gita Govinda, written in the 12th century by Jayadeva Gosvami. Still today, Gita Govinda is considered extremely dear to Jagannatha, and every night the Deities are dressed with a special red shawl on which the entire text of the poem is woven.

An ardent devotee of Jagannatha, Jayadeva married a Devadasi, Padmavati.

Gita Govinda narrates the love pastimes of Krishna with His beloved Gopi (Radha or Vrinda) in a very intense way, offering ample opportunity for the expression of sentiments (rasa) by the dancer.

The various expressions of Odissa dances are called:

1. Mangalacarana (invocation of auspiciousness)

2. Batu nritya or Sthai (pure dance using the technical nuances)

3. Pallavi (elaborations on dance movements and postures)

4. Abhinaya (dramatic expression of sentiments in narrating a story, accompanying the relevant poetic verses of the song).

5. Mokshya (dance of salvation)

All dance performances begin with the offering of respect to God (especially Ganesh, who destroys obstacles on the path of perfection), to Mother Earth on which the dancer moves, to the Guru, and to the audience.

Shiva is also called Nataraja, the King among Dancers. He is the original teacher of the arts of dance.

The image of Shiva Kalabhairava over the main dome of Surya temple, Konark.

An example of the many images of dancers and drummers on a bas relief at Surya temple, Konark.

Odissi dance comes alive at Konark.

Dancer and musicians at Brahmesvara temple, Bhubaneswar.

Shiva pierces a demon with his trishula.

Beauty and grace in the lasya expression of dance.

An example of Abhinaya, the expression of sentiments, from Gita Govinda: Krishna deeply feels the separation from Radha, and fears he will see her no more.