Hindu dance traditions

Nataraja (, ; , Naṭarājar), also known as Adalvallan (), is a depiction of Shiva, one of the main deities in Hinduism, as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called the tandava. The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the Tevaram and Thiruvasagam in Tamil and the Amshumadagama and Uttarakamika agama in Sanskrit and the Grantha texts. The dance murti is featured in all major Hindu temples of Shaivism, and is a well-known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture, as one of the finest illustrations of Hindu art. This form is also referr

one of officially eight classical Indian dances

thumb|Krishna and [[Radha dancing the rasalila, a 19th-century painting, Rajasthan]] The Raslila (), also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a popular theme for other India classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri Raas Leela, Kuchipudi, and Kathak.

major popular drum dance of Karnataka

south Indian performance art

thumb|A kanyarkali Performance

thumb|Alapra Thacharickal Padayani 64 Pala Bhirairavikolam thumb|A masked Padayani dancer at the Kottangal [[Devi Temple]] Padayani, also known Padeni (from the Malayalam word for military formations), is a traditional folk dance and a ritual art from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati temples. The dance is performed in honor of Bhadrakaali. Meaning, a 'row of warriors', Padayani is an art form that blends all music, dance, theatre, satire, facial masks, and paintings. It is part of worship of Bh

type of dance

type of dance

type of dance

Theeyaattam also known as Theeyaattu (Tīyāttu) is a traditional temple dance form of Kerala.

thumb|Darika kolam for Padayani Darika is a character in Mudiyettu, a ritualistic dance from the Bhagavathi or Bhadrakali worship, usually performed only in the Kali temples of Kerala. The story is also known as "Darika vadham", or "killing of Darika".