Bharatanatyam (Puducherry)

Understand

Where Bharatanatyam (Puducherry) comes from

Bharatanatyam is the classical dance of the Tamil community of Puducherry, performed by women of the community at the temples and the cultural programmes. The dance is part of the broader Tamil classical-dance tradition of the south Indian region and is one of the documented regional cultural traditions of Puducherry. The form is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the union territory and at the temples of the Tamil community.

How it's practiced

Bharatanatyam is performed by women of the Tamil community at the temple or at the central courtyard of the cultural programme. The dance is performed in the classical vocabulary of the Tamil tradition (the alaripu, the varnam, the abhinaya and the tillana), with the dancer performing in the temple-sari and the heavy classical-jewellery of the Tamil tradition. Music is the mridangam, the nadaswaram, the veena and the small cymbals of the regional ensemble. Performances are at the temple and at the cultural programmes of the union territory.