Question

Which of the following books are original sources of Bharatnatyam?
A) Natya Shastra
B) Abhinaya Darpan
C) Rigveda
D) Both (A) and (B)

Answer 1

Hint: Bharatnatyam is an important genre of Indian classical dance form which hails from the state of Tamil Nadu. Originally named Sadhir Attam, it has been flourishing ever since prehistoric times in the temples and courts of South India.

Complete answer:
One of the oldest and most popular forms of classical dance, Bharatnatyam originated from the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu in India. The initial origins of this dance form are regarded to be from Natya Shastra written by a scholar named Bharata Muni and Nandikeshvara’s Abhninaya Darpan.

Natya Shastra is an artistic performance treatise written in Sanskrit. It was a former arts encyclopaedic book that impacted Indian dance, music and literature related to culture and traditions. On the other hand, Abhinaya Darpana is also a vast document that describes the various movements and gestures used in the Indian classical dance form.

A prehistoric compilation of Vedic Sanskrit hymns, Rigveda is considered the most sacred canonical text in Hinduism. It is also the oldest known text in the world but doesn’t have any link with dance practices in India.

Therefore, Natyashashtra and Abhinaya Darpan are both the books that are considered as the original sources of Bharatnatyam. So, option (D) is correct.

Note: A popular dance genre in India, Bharatnatyam has been performed since ancient times in temples and palaces throughout the country's southern region. This dance form portrays the religious and cultural values of South India. It is one of India's eight ancient dance genres while the others being Kathak, Kuchipudi and Odissi.