Speech by
H.H. Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati
on the occasion of
Bharatanatyam Dance Performance
in Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi Mandir,
on 30^th March 2012 (Navaratri)

Bharatanatyam is an old, ancient Indian Classical Dance originating in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is the most ancient dance of all the traditional dance forms in India.

The Natya Shastra is the oldest surviving text on stage-craft in the world. Bharatanatyam / Odissi etc. are also called 'artistic Yoga' or better 'Natya Yoga'. Legend says that Lord Brahma created Pancama Veda, the 5th Veda or 'Natya Veda'. Lord Brahma gave it to Sage Bharata, who wrote down Natya Shastra. The powerful form of dance derived the name 'Tandava' from the cosmic dance of Shiva and the graceful dance of Goddess Parvati is called 'Lasya'.

The Gods and Goddesses - being Dancers Themselves - passed the heavenly dance on to human beings. This dance is still mostly performed by women dancers.

Centuries ago Hindu Temples in South India had Dance-Priestesses, who were singing, dancing and playing instruments. They spoke Sanskrit and different other languages and they lived the life of highest purity and of supreme divine nature. They lived a celibate life and had no family.

The body and its tendencies, considered an enemy of the spirit and a great obstacle to spiritual realisation, has itself been made a vehicle of the Divine in the discipline of Temple-Dance. The ancient Temple-Dancers were also Priests and apart from dance as worship to the Divinity, they performed their regular Pujas. They were considered as the highest Authorities in the Temples. They were like walking Divinities or Devis.

With the changing of the time and the influence from several forces from outside, this situation drastically changed. It is said that the English system completely avoided the tradition of the divine Priestesses and among these most heavenly dancers, some were losing the purity and the spiritual life-style, and turned later into court dancers, which had no more the same spiritual effect, as it was earlier in the Temples.

But still today, some of the Temples in India allow dancers to give performances in the Temple itself, and our Gurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati revived this tradition again, when he allowed Kumari Somashekhari to give her performances in our Temple in the true system of the ancient time. Her life is highly divine, spiritual and pure and is undoubtedly manifesting that, which was of highest value at that time and is now available right here.