Classical Dance Forms
Eight Classical Dances (Sangeet Natak Akademi)
| Dance | State | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Bharatanatyam | Tamil Nadu | Oldest; Tanjore origin; Natya Shastra based; Kalakshetra revival |
| Kathakali | Kerala | Elaborate costumes; green face; Mahabharata/Ramayana stories |
| Kuchipudi | Andhra Pradesh | Dance-drama; performers play multiple roles |
| Odissi | Odisha | Temple tradition; tribhanga (three-bend) posture |
| Manipuri | Manipur | Vaishnavite devotional; soft, lyrical movements |
| Mohiniyattam | Kerala | Feminine; gentle sway; laasya style |
| Kathak | North India | Storytelling; fast footwork; Mughal influence |
| Sattriya | Assam | Monastic tradition; Vaishnavite sattras |
Tamil Nadu connection:
- Bharatanatyam revived by Rukmini Devi Arundale — founded Kalakshetra (1936) in Chennai
- T. Balasaraswati: legendary Bharatanatyam dancer; UNESCO recognition
- Originally performed in temples as Devadasi tradition; reform movement in early 20th century brought it to concert stage
Folk dances of Tamil Nadu: Kummi, Kolattam, Karagattam, Oyilattam, Kavadi Aattam
Classical Music
Two Traditions
Hindustani (North India):
- Persian/Mughal influence — Amir Khusrau credited with many innovations
- Based on ragas (melodic frameworks) and talas (rhythmic cycles)
- Major forms: Dhrupad (oldest), Khayal (most popular), Thumri, Dadra
- Major gharanas: Gwalior, Agra, Jaipur, Kirana, Patiala
- Key composers: Tansen (court musician of Akbar)
Carnatic (South India):
- Predominantly devotional; compositions called kritis
- Trinity of Carnatic Music (all from Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu):
- Tyagaraja — composed in Telugu and Sanskrit; Pancharatna Kritis
- Muthuswami Dikshitar — Sanskrit kritis; influenced by Hindustani
- Syama Sastri — Telugu and Sanskrit; mother goddess devotion
- Key instruments: Veena (melodic), Mridangam (percussion), Violin (introduced from West), Ghatam, Nadaswaram
- Nadaswaram + Tavil = Tamil temple music (Periya Melam); essential at Tamil weddings and festivals
National music academy: Sangeet Natak Akademi (1952) — highest recognition for performing arts
Temple Architecture
Nagara Style (North India)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Shikhara | Curvilinear tower above sanctum |
| Amalaka | Ribbed disc at apex |
| Mandapa | Pillared hall in front |
| Style | Taller, rounded spire |
Key examples: Khajuraho temples (MP), Sun Temple Konark (Odisha), Lingaraja Temple (Bhubaneswar)
Dravidian Style (South India)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Vimana | Stepped pyramid tower over sanctum |
| Gopuram | Gateway tower — often taller than vimana |
| Mandapa | Pillared hall |
| Prakaras | Concentric walled enclosures |
| Pushkarini | Sacred tank in complex |
Key examples:
- Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur — Rajaraja Chola I (1010 CE); 66m vimana; largest Chola temple; UNESCO
- Gangaikondacholapuram — Rajendra Chola I; UNESCO
- Meenakshi Amman, Madurai — Nayak period; 14 gopurams; tallest gopuram 52m
- Ranganathaswamy, Srirangam — largest functioning temple complex in world (156 hectares)
- Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram — Pallava; UNESCO; oldest structural stone temple in South India
Vesara Style (Mixed)
Blend of Nagara and Dravidian — Karnataka (Hoysala period):
- Belur and Halebidu — intricate star-shaped platforms; detailed sculptures
Rock-Cut Architecture
- Ajanta Caves (MH): Buddhist; 1st century BCE – 5th CE; painting murals — UNESCO
- Ellora Caves (MH): Buddhist + Hindu + Jain; 6th–11th CE; Kailasa Temple (largest monolithic rock-cut structure) — UNESCO
- Mahabalipuram (TN): Pallava; pancha rathas (5 chariots); relief sculpture Arjuna's Penance — UNESCO
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India
India: 42 UNESCO WHS (2024) — 34 Cultural + 7 Natural + 1 Mixed
Cultural Sites (Key)
| Site | State | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ajanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| Ellora Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| Taj Mahal | Uttar Pradesh | 1983 |
| Sun Temple, Konark | Odisha | 1984 |
| Group of Monuments, Mahabalipuram | Tamil Nadu | 1984 |
| Qutb Minar Complex | Delhi | 1993 |
| Humayun's Tomb | Delhi | 1993 |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Uttar Pradesh | 1986 |
| Khajuraho Monuments | Madhya Pradesh | 1986 |
| Hampi | Karnataka | 1986 |
| Pattadakal | Karnataka | 1987 |
| Great Living Chola Temples | Tamil Nadu | 1987, 2004 |
| Red Fort Complex | Delhi | 2007 |
| Jantar Mantar, Jaipur | Rajasthan | 2010 |
| Rani-ki-Vav, Patan | Gujarat | 2014 |
| Ahmedabad Historic City | Gujarat | 2017 |
| Jaipur City | Rajasthan | 2019 |
Great Living Chola Temples (TN): Brihadeeswarar (Thanjavur) + Gangaikondacholapuram + Airavatesvara (Darasuram)
Natural Sites (Key)
| Site | State |
|---|---|
| Kaziranga National Park | Assam (one-horned rhino) |
| Manas Wildlife Sanctuary | Assam |
| Sundarbans National Park | West Bengal (Bengal tiger; mangroves) |
| Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers | Uttarakhand |
| Western Ghats | Multi-state (Kerala, TN, Karnataka, MH, Goa) |
| Great Himalayan National Park | Himachal Pradesh |
Mixed: Khangchendzonga National Park (Sikkim) — 2016
Sangam Literature and Tamil Heritage
Sangam Age (300 BCE – 300 CE)
Three Sangams (legendary literary academies): All held at Madurai
Major Sangam texts:
| Category | Texts | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Akam (love poetry) | Akananuru, Kurunthokai, Natrinai, Ainkurunuru, Kalittokai | Five tinais (love landscapes) |
| Puram (war/public poetry) | Purananuru, Padinenkilkanakku, Pathitrupattu | Heroism, kings, death |
Tolkappiyam: Oldest existing Tamil grammar (Tolkappiyar); covers phonology, grammar, poetics
Tirukkural (Kural):
- Author: Thiruvalluvar (Tiruvalluvar)
- 1,330 couplets in 133 chapters
- Three sections: Aram (virtue/dharma), Porul (wealth/polity), Inbam (love)
- Translated into 80+ languages
- Tiruvalluvar Day: January 15/16 (coincides with Pongal)
Five Great Tamil Epics (Aimperunkappiyam)
| Epic | Author | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Silappadikaram | Ilango Adigal (Chera prince) | Kannagi story; justice; trade; city life |
| Manimekalai | Sattanar | Sequel to Silappadikaram; Buddhism |
| Civaka Cintamani | Tiruttakkatevar | Jainism; love and war |
| Valayapathi | Unknown | Jainism; mostly lost |
| Kundalakesi | Naathakuthanar | Buddhism; mostly lost |
Tamil Bhakti Movement
Nayanmars (63 Shaivite saints):
- Composed Thevaram (hymns) — collected into Tirumurai
- Key saints: Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), Sundarar, Thirugnana Sambandar
- Manikkavacagar — composed Tiruvachakam; 4th important saint
- Fought Jain/Buddhist influence; made Shaivism popular
Alvars (12 Vaishnavite saints):
- Composed Nalayira Divya Prabandham (4,000 Tamil verses)
- Key Alvars: Nammalvar (most important; composed Thiruvoimozhi), Andal (only woman Alvar; Tiruppavai), Thirumangai Alvar
- Promoted Vishnu worship in Tamil Nadu
Painting Traditions
Classical Painting Schools
| School | Location | Style | Key Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajanta | Maharashtra | Buddhist; fresco; 1–5th CE | Jataka stories, court scenes |
| Madhubani | Bihar (Mithila) | Folk; geometric patterns | Deities, nature |
| Miniature Paintings | Mughal + Rajput | Portrait, court scenes | Mughal: nature/hunting; Rajput: devotional |
| Tanjore (Thanjavur) | Tamil Nadu | Gold foil overlay; gems; vibrant colours | Deities (especially Krishna) |
| Kalamkari | Andhra Pradesh | Pen/block on cloth; natural dyes | Mahabharata stories |
| Warli | Maharashtra | White on mud walls; tribal patterns | Daily life, festivals |
| Pattachitra | Odisha | Cloth canvas; natural colours | Jagannath stories |
Thanjavur painting: Distinctive TN art form — gold leaf, precious stones embedded; temple deity paintings; popular collector's item
Literature and Performing Arts
Sanskrit Literature
- Vedas (4): Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva — oldest literary texts
- Upanishads: Philosophical texts; Vedanta
- Ramayana (Valmiki): 24,000 verses; first Sanskrit epic (Adi Kavya)
- Mahabharata (Vyasa): 100,000 verses; longest epic; Bhagavad Gita embedded
- Kalidasa (Gupta period): Shakuntala, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsa — greatest Sanskrit poet
Theatre Traditions
- Koothu — Tamil traditional theatre; Koodiyattam (Kerala) — UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Yakshagana — Karnataka; combines music, dance, drama
- Theyyam — Kerala ritual performance
- Therukoothu — Tamil street theatre
- Puppet theatre: Tolu Bommalata (AP), Gombeyata (Karnataka), Tolpava Koothu (Kerala)
Awards and Recognitions
National Awards for Arts
| Award | Given by | For |
|---|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna | President of India | Highest civilian award — exceptional national service |
| Padma Vibhushan | President | Second highest civilian |
| Padma Bhushan | President | Third highest civilian |
| Padma Shri | President | Fourth highest civilian |
| Sangeet Natak Akademi Award | Sangeet Natak Akademi | Performing arts |
| Sahitya Akademi Award | Sahitya Akademi | Literature (in 24 languages) |
| Lalit Kala Akademi Award | Lalit Kala Akademi | Visual arts |
| Kalaimamani | Tamil Nadu Govt | Tamil arts and literature |
Three National Akademis (all established 1954):
- Sangeet Natak Akademi — performing arts
- Sahitya Akademi — literature
- Lalit Kala Akademi — visual arts
Board Exam Tips
- Classical dances: 8 forms; Bharatanatyam = Tamil Nadu; Kalakshetra founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale (1936)
- Temple styles: Nagara (curved shikhara, North) vs Dravidian (stepped vimana + gopuram, South); Vesara = mixed
- Brihadeeswarar, Thanjavur: Rajaraja Chola I; 1010 CE; UNESCO; 66m vimana
- India: 42 UNESCO WHS (2024); TN sites: Mahabalipuram (1984), Great Living Chola Temples (1987/2004)
- Tirukkural: Thiruvalluvar; 1,330 couplets; 3 sections (Aram, Porul, Inbam)
- Five Great Epics: Silappadikaram (Ilango Adigal) is most important for TNPSC
- Nayanmars: 63 saints; Thevaram; key = Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar
- Alvars: 12 saints; Nalayira Divya Prabandham; Nammalvar most important; Andal — only woman
- Trinity of Carnatic Music: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri — all from Tiruvarur, TN
- Ajanta = Buddhist paintings; Ellora = Buddhist + Hindu + Jain; Kailasa Temple at Ellora
- Thanjavur painting: gold foil + gems + vibrant colours; TN's classical painting tradition
Frequently Asked Questions
Eight classical dance forms recognised by Sangeet Natak Akademi: (1) Bharatanatyam — Tamil Nadu; originated in Tanjore; based on Natya Shastra. (2) Kathakali — Kerala; elaborate costumes; stories from Mahabharata/Ramayana. (3) Kuchipudi — Andhra Pradesh; combines dance and drama. (4) Odissi — Odisha; temple dance tradition; fluid body movements. (5) Manipuri — Manipur; devotional; Vaishnavite themes. (6) Mohiniyattam — Kerala; feminine, lyrical style. (7) Kathak — North India (UP/Rajasthan); storytelling through dance; Mughal influence on footwork. (8) Sattriya — Assam; monastic tradition from Vaishnavite sattras. Tamil Nadu connection: Bharatanatyam revived in 20th century by Rukmini Devi Arundale (founded Kalakshetra, 1936).