Kathak (Delhi-Lucknow gharana)

Understand

Where Kathak (Delhi-Lucknow gharana) comes from

Kathak is the North Indian classical dance of Delhi, with the Delhi-Lucknow gharana being one of the three principal gharanas of the form. The Kathak tradition of Delhi has its roots in the bhakti-movement of northern India and the Mughal court dance of the 16th century, when the kathakars (storytellers) of the temples were adapted to the darbar aesthetic. The Delhi-Lucknow gharana particularly flourished under the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh in the 19th century (in Lucknow) and was carried into the Delhi cultural life with the migration of Kathak artists after 1857. The gharana is known for its distinct nazakat (grace), the thungla (large cymbal) accompaniment, the chakkars (spins), and the repertoire of Bhajans, Dadras and Thumris. Major Delhi-Lucknow gharana artists of the modern period include Acchan Maharaj, Lacchu Maharaj, Kumari Narayan, Ramgopal Misra and more recently Uma Sharma, Pratap Pawar and Ranjana Gauhar.

How it's practiced

Kathak is performed by soloists (and by duets) in the Delhi cultural and classical music festivals, with the dancer in the traditional Kathak costume of the Lucknow-Delhi gharana (the Anarkali-style long frock with the transparent odhni for the women, and the churidar-kurta with the small regional cap for the men). The dance features the tatkar (basic footwork), the tora, the kramal, the chakkars (rapid spins), the parhant (rhythmic recitation by the tabla player) and the abhinaya (expressive story-telling through facial and hand gestures). The accompanying music is the tabla, the sarangi, the sitar and the bhangra (the large cymbal of the gharana). Costume is the classical Kathak dress with the heavy ghungroo (ankle-bell) accompaniment.