View source for Odissi

{{short description|Classical dance of India}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Distinguish|text=the [[Odissi music]] and [[Odishi]], a historical district of western Georgia}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox dance
| name        = Odishi
| image       = Odissi dance at Nishagandi Dance Festival 2024 (207).jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = Odissi performance at Nishagandi Dance Festival 2024 
| native_name = ଓଡ଼ିଶୀ 
| etymology   = 
| genre       = [[Indian classical dance]]
| signature   = 
| instruments = 
| inventor    = 
| year        = 
| origin      = [[Odisha]], [[India]]
}}
{{Hinduism}}

'''''Odissi''''' ('''''ଓଡ଼ିଶୀ''''') also referred to as '''''Orissi''''' in old literature, oldest surviving classical dance of India, is a major ancient [[Indian classical dance]] that originated in the [[Hindu temple|temple]]s of [[Odisha]] – an eastern coastal state of [[India]].<ref name=britannicaodis>[https://www.britannica.com/art/odissi Odissi] ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2013)</ref>{{Sfn|Williams|2004|pp=83–84, the other major classical Indian dances are: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Manipuri, Chhau, Satriya, Yaksagana and Bhagavata Mela}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Guidelines for Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna and Akademi Puraskar|url=http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/guide-snaawards.htm |access-date=6 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014000750/http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/guide-snaawards.htm |archive-date=14 October 2013 }}</ref> Odissi, in its history, was performed predominantly by women,<ref name=britannicaodis/><ref name="Claus2003p136">{{cite book|author1=Peter J. Claus|author2=Sarah Diamond|author3=Margaret Ann Mills|title=South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ienxrTPHzzwC |year=2003|publisher=Routledge |isbn= 978-0-415-93919-5 |pages=136 }}</ref> and expressed [[religious]] stories and spiritual ideas, particularly of [[Vaishnavism]] through songs written and composed according to the ''ragas'' & ''talas'' of [[Odissi music]] by ancient poets of the state. Odissi performances have also expressed ideas of other traditions such as those related to Hindu deities [[Shiva]] and [[Surya]], as well as Hindu goddesses ([[Shaktism]]).<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p41">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=4–6, 41 }}, '''Quote:''' "There are other temples too in Odisha where the ''maharis'' used to dance. Besides the temple of Lord Jagannatha, ''maharis'' were employed in temples dedicated to Shiva and Shakti."</ref>

The theoretical foundations of Odissi trace to the ancient Sanskrit text ''[[Natya Shastra]]'', its existence in antiquity evidenced by the dance poses in the sculptures of [[Kalinga architecture|Kalingan temples]],<ref name="britannicaodis" /><ref name="Lochtefeld2002p483">{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g6FsB3psOTIC |year=2002| publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-8239-3180-4 |pages=484–485 }}</ref> and archeological sites related to [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]].<ref name="Schechner65">{{cite book|author=Richard Schechner |title=Between Theater and Anthropology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DoEaulAxbu8C&pg=PA65 |year=2010|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-0092-8 |pages=65–66}}</ref><ref name="kyriakidis155" /><ref name="KothariPasricha1990p12">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=9–10, 12}}, '''Quote:''' The art of dance and maasic suffered on account of political instability, the Muslim invasion, the desecration of the temples and the loss of independence, the lack of patronage to both the ''maharis'' and the ''gotipua'' dancers..."</ref> It was suppressed under [[British Rule]].{{Sfn|Ragini Devi|1990|pp=47–49}}<ref name="Carter2013p145">{{cite book|author=Alexandra Carter|title=Rethinking Dance History: A Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYaMAQAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-48500-8|pages=144–145 }}</ref> The suppression was protested by the Indians, followed by its revival, reconstruction and expansion since [[India]] gained independence from the colonial rule.<ref name="kyriakidis155">{{cite book|author=Evangelos Kyriakidis|title=The archaeology of ritual|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e34KAQAAMAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California Press|isbn=978-1-931745-48-2|pages=155–158}}</ref>

Odissi is traditionally a dance-drama genre of [[performance art]], where the artist(s) and musicians play out a story, a spiritual message or devotional poem from the [[Hindu texts]], using symbolic costumes,<ref>{{cite book|author=Stephanie Arnold|title=The Creative Spirit: An Introduction to Theatre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pn1zCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 |year=2014|publisher=McGraw Hill |isbn=978-0-07-777389-2 |pages=9 }}</ref> body movement, ''[[abhinaya]]'' (expressions) and ''[[mudra]]s'' (gestures and [[sign language]]) set out in ancient Sanskrit literature.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=1–4, 76–77}}</ref> Classical Odia literature & the [[Gitagovinda|Gita Govinda]] set to traditional [[Odissi music]] are used for the ''abhinaya''. Odissi is learnt and performed as a composite of basic dance motif called the ''[[Tribhanga|Bhangas]]'' (symmetric body bends, stance). It involves lower (footwork), mid (torso) and upper (hand and head) body as three sources of perfecting expression and audience engagement with geometric symmetry and rhythmic musical resonance.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=50}}</ref><ref name="Vatsyayan1983p57">{{cite book|author=Kapila Vatsyayan|title=The square and the circle of the Indian arts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2sKfAAAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Roli Books International|pages=57–58}}</ref> An Odissi performance repertoire includes invocation, ''nritta'' (pure dance), ''nritya'' (expressive dance), ''natya'' (dance drama) and ''moksha'' (dance climax connoting salvation of the [[Atman (Hinduism)|soul]] and spiritual release).<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/><ref name=aroyo267/>

Traditional Odissi exists in two major styles, the first perfected by women and focussed on solemn, [[Mahari dance|spiritual temple dance (''maharis'')]]; the second perfected by [[Gotipua|boys dressed as girls (''gotipuas'')]]<ref>{{cite book|author1=Axel Michaels|author2=Christoph Wulf|title=Images of the Body in India: South Asian and European Perspectives on Rituals and Performativity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ui2pAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT192 |year=2012|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-70392-8|page=192}}</ref> which diversified to include athletic and acrobatic moves, and were performed from festive occasions in temples to general folksy entertainment.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p483"/> Modern Odissi productions by Indian artists have presented a diverse range of experimental ideas, culture fusion, themes and plays.<ref>{{cite book|author=Ian Watson|title=Towards a Third Theatre: Eugenio Barba and the Odin Teatret|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ChGGAgAAQBAJ |year=2003|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-79755-4 |pages=xii–xiii }}</ref>

Odissi was the only Indian dance form present in [[Michael Jackson]]'s 1991 hit single "[[Black or White]]".

==History of Odissi==
The foundations of Odissi are found in ''[[Natya Shastra]]'', the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of performance arts.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p32">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=32–33, 48–49, 68 }}</ref><ref name="Kuiper2010p278">{{cite book|author=Kathleen Kuiper|title=The Culture of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c8PJFLeURhsC&pg=PA278 |year=2010|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-61530-149-2 |pages=278 }}</ref> The basic dance units described in the ''Natya Shastra'', all 108 of them, are identical to those in Odissi.<ref name="Kuiper2010p278"/> The text is attributed to the ancient scholar [[Bharata Muni]], and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200&nbsp;BCE and 200&nbsp;CE,{{Sfn|Natalia Lidova|2014}}{{Sfn|Tarla Mehta|1995|pp=xxiv, 19–20}} but estimates vary between 500&nbsp;BCE and 500&nbsp;CE.{{Sfn|Wallace Dace|1963|p=249}} The most studied version of the Natya Shastra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters.{{Sfn|Natalia Lidova|2014}}{{Sfn|Emmie Te Nijenhuis|1974|pp=1–25}} The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance ([[Shiva]]), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures – all of which are part of Indian classical dances.{{Sfn|Natalia Lidova|2014}}{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|2001}} Dance and performance arts, states this ancient text,<ref>{{cite book|author=Guy L. Beck|title=Sonic Liturgy: Ritual and Music in Hindu Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UzUMCAAAQBAJ |year=2012|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-61117-108-2|pages=138–139 |quote='''Quote:''' "A summation of the signal importance of the Natyasastra for Hindu religion and culture has been provided by Susan Schwartz, "In short, the Natyasastra is an exhaustive encyclopedic dissertation of the arts, with an emphasis on performing arts as its central feature. It is also full of invocations to deities, acknowledging the divine origins of the arts and the central role of performance arts in achieving divine goals (...)".}}</ref> are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures.<ref name="mog17">{{cite web|title=The Mirror of Gesture|author=Coormaraswamy and Duggirala|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1917|page=4|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924012568535#page/n5/mode/2up}}; Also see chapter 36</ref> The [[Natya Shastra]] refers to four ''pravrittis'' (methods of expressive delivery) in vogue – ''Avanti'', ''Dakshinatya'', ''Panchali'' and ''Odra-Magadhi''; of these, the ''Odra'' refers to Odisha.<ref name="kothari6" />

More direct historical evidence of dance and music as an ancient performance art are found in archaeological sites such as caves and in temple carvings of [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Konark Sun Temple|Konark]] and [[Puri]].<ref name="Kuiper2010p278" /><ref>{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=13–16, 31–32}}</ref> The Manchapuri cave in [[Udayagiri, Odisha|Udayagiri]] shows carvings of [[:File:Pragya Shaw at Toronto Bihu 2019.jpg|dance]] and musicians, and this has been dated to the time of [[Jainism|Jain]] king [[Kharavela]] in the first or second century BCE. The [[Hathigumpha inscription]]s, also dated to the same ruler, mention music and dance :<ref name="kothari6">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=5–6}}</ref><ref>Benudhar Patra (2008), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/41692117 Merchants, Guilds and Trade in Ancient India: An Odishan Perspective], Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Volume 89, pages 133-168</ref>

<blockquote style="background-color:none;margin-right:5em;margin-left:0em;border-left:solid 6px #FFE0BB;padding:1.0em">
(he [the king]) versed in the science of the ''Gandharvas'' (i.e., music), entertains the capital with the exhibition of ''dapa'', dancing, singing and instrumental music and by causing to be held festivities and assemblies (samajas)...</p>
— ''Hathigumpha inscription, Line 5'', ~ 2nd–1st century BCE<ref>[http://www.sdstate.edu/projectsouthasia/upload/HathigumphaInscription.pdf Hathigumpha inscription] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232906/http://www.sdstate.edu/projectsouthasia/upload/HathigumphaInscription.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }} South Dakota State University, Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XX (1929–30)</ref><ref>J. F. Fleet (1910), [https://www.jstor.org/stable/25189732 The Hathigumpha Inscription], The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, (Jul. 1910), Cambridge University Press, pages 824–828</ref>   
</blockquote>

The classical music tradition of Odisha, known as [[Odissi music]], also has ancient roots. Archeologists have reported the discovery of 20-key, carefully shaped polished basalt lithophone in [[Sankarjang]], the highlands of Odisha, which is dated to about 1000 BCE.<ref>{{Cite journal|author1=P. Yule |author2=M. Bemmann |title=Klangsteine aus Orissa-Die frühesten Musikinstrumente Indiens?|journal=Archaeologia Musicalis|volume=2|issue=1 |year=1988|pages=41–50|url=http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/savifadok/volltexte/2008/177/}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone|author3=James Porter|display-authors=etal|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC&pg=PA319 |year=1998|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1 |pages=319 }}</ref>

===Medieval era===
[[File:Odissi Dancer.jpg|thumb|297x297px|Odissi dancer]]
The [[Hindu]], [[Jain]] and [[Buddhist]] archaeological sites in Odisha state, particularly the Assia range of hills show inscriptions and carvings of dances that are dated to the 6th to 9th century CE. Important sites include the Ranigumpha in Udaygiri, and various caves and temples at Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Alatgiri sites. The Buddhist icons, for example, are depicted as dancing gods and goddesses, with Heruka, Vajravarahi, and Marichi in Odissi-like postures.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=13–15}}</ref><ref>DB Mishra (2006), [http://www.orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/may2006/engpdf/22-29.pdf Orissan Inscriptions] Odisha Review</ref> Historical evidence, states Alexandra Carter, shows that Odissi ''Maharis'' (Hindu temple dancers) and dance halls architecture (''nata-mandapa'') were in vogue at least by the 9th century CE.<ref>{{cite book|author=Alexandra Carter|title=Rethinking Dance History: A Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYaMAQAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-48500-8|pages=147–148 }}</ref>

According to [[Kapila Vatsyayan]], the ''Kalpasutra'' of Jainism, in its manuscripts discovered in Gujarat, includes classical Indian dance poses – such as the ''Samapada'', the ''Tribhangi'' and the ''Chauka'' of Odissi. This, states Vatsyayan, suggests that Odissi was admired or at least well known in distant parts of India, far from Odisha in the medieval era, to be included in the margins of an important Jain text.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kapila Vatsyayan|title=Dance In Indian Painting|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=58fUibaZdGYC|year=1982 |publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-0391022362|pages=73–78 }}</ref> However, the Jain manuscripts use the dance poses as decorative art in the margins and cover, but do not describe or discuss the dance. Hindu dance texts such as the ''Abhinaya Chandrika'' and ''Abhinaya Darpana'' provide a detailed description of the movements of the feet, hands, the standing postures, the movement and the dance repertoire.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=66–67}}</ref> It includes illustrations of the ''karana''s mentioned in ''Natya Shastra''.{{sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=210-212}} Similarly, the illustrated Hindu text on temple architecture from Odisha, the ''Shilpa Prakasha'', deals with Odia architecture and sculpture, and includes Odissi postures.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Alice Boner|author2=Sadāśiva Rath Śarmā|title=Silpa Prakasa Medieval Odishan Sanskrit Text on Temple Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=itQUAAAAIAAJ |year=1966|publisher=Brill Academic|pages=74–80, 52, 154 }}</ref>

[[File:Dancing Figures.JPG|thumb|120px|left|Musician and dancer relief at the Konark Sun temple.]]
Actual sculptures that have survived into the modern era and panel [[relief]]s in Odia temples, dated to be from the 10th to 14th century, show Odissi dance. This is evidenced in [[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jagannatha temple]] in [[Puri]], as well as other temples of [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaivism]], [[Shaktism]] and Vedic deities such as [[Surya]] (Sun) in Odisha.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p41"/> There are several sculptures of dancers and musicians in [[Konark Sun Temple]] and [[Brahmeswara Temple]] in [[Bhubaneswar]].<ref name=britannicaodis/><ref name="Lochtefeld2002p483"/>

The composition of the poetic texts by 8th century Shankaracharya and particularly of divine love inspired ''Gitagovinda'' by 12th century Jayadeva influenced the focus and growth of modern Odissi.<ref name="Verma2011p43">{{cite book|author=Archana Verma|title=Performance and Culture: Narrative, Image and Enactment in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iAArBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA43 |year=2011|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|isbn=978-1-4438-2832-1 |pages=43–57 }}</ref> Odissi was performed in the temples by the dancers called ''Maharis'', who played out these spiritual poems and underlying religious plays, after training and perfecting their art of dance starting from an early age, and who were revered as auspicious to religious services.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p41"/><ref name="Verma2011p43"/>

===Mughal and British period===
After 12th-century, Odia temples, monasteries and nearby institutions such as the [[Puspagiri]] in the eastern Indian subcontinent came under waves of attacks and ransacking by Muslim armies, a turmoil that impacted all arts and eroded the freedoms previously enjoyed by performance artists.<ref name="Carter2013p145"/> The official records of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq's invasion in [[Odisha]] (1360{{ndash}}1361 CE), for example, describe the destruction of the [[Jagannath temple]] as well as numerous other temples, defacing of dancing statues, and ruining of dance halls.<ref>{{cite book|author=Dhirendranath Patnaik|title=Odissi dance|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TBtHAQAAIAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Odisha Sangeet Natak Adademi|pages=68–69 }}</ref> This led to a broad decline in Odissi and other religious arts, but there were some benevolent rulers in this period who supported arts particularly through performances at courts.<ref name="Carter2013p145"/> During the Sultanate and Mughal era of [[India]], the temple dancers were moved to entertain the Sultan's family and courts.<ref>{{cite book|author=Stephanie Burridge|title=Shifting sands: dance in Asia and the Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mm8NAQAAMAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Australian Dance Council|isbn=978-1-875255-15-3|page=32}}</ref> They became associated with [[concubinage]] to the nobility.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

[[File:Odissi is a classical Indian dance that originated in Odisha, India.jpg|thumb|A male Odissi dancer]]
The Odissi dance likely expanded in the 17th century, states Alexandra Carter, under King Ramachandradeva's patronage.<ref name=carter148/> This expansion integrated martial arts (''akhanda'') and athletics into Odissi dance, by engaging boys and youth called ''Gotipuas'', as a means to physically train the young for the military and to resist foreign invasions.<ref name=carter148>{{cite book|author=Alexandra Carter|title=Rethinking Dance History: A Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYaMAQAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-48500-8|pages=148–149 }}</ref> According to Ragini Devi, historical evidence suggests that the ''Gotipuas'' tradition was known and nurtured in the 14th century, by Raja of Khordha.{{Sfn|Ragini Devi|1990|p=142}}

During the [[British Raj]], the officials of the colonial government ridiculed the temple traditions, while Christian missionaries launched a sustained attack on the moral outrage of sensuousness of Odissi and other Hindu temple dance arts.<ref name="Carter2013p145"/><ref name=marysnodgrass166>{{cite book|author=Mary Ellen Snodgrass|title=The Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMGpDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-5749-8 |pages=165–168 }}</ref><ref name="Walker2016p94">{{cite book|author=Margaret E. Walker|title=India's Kathak Dance in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC83DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA94|year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-11737-7 |pages=94–98 }}</ref> In 1872, a British civil servant named William Hunter watched a performance at the Jagannatha temple in Puri, then wrote, "Indecent ceremonies disgraced the ritual, and dancing girls with rolling eyes put the modest worshipper to the blush...", and then attacked them as idol-worshipping prostitutes who expressed their devotion with "airy gyrations".<ref name="Alexandra Carter 2013 145–146">{{cite book|author=Alexandra Carter|title=Rethinking Dance History: A Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYaMAQAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-48500-8|pages=145–146 }}</ref>

Christian missionaries launched the "anti-dance movement" in 1892, to ban all such dance forms.<ref name=marysnodgrass166/> The dancers were frequently stigmatized as prostitutes by Europeans during the [[British India|colonial era]].<ref name=amritsri73>{{cite journal|title=The Hindu Temple-dancer: Prostitute or Nun? |author= Amrit Srinivasan|journal= The Cambridge Journal of Anthropology|volume= 8| number= 1 |year =1983| pages= 73–99|jstor=23816342}}</ref><ref name=leslieorr8>{{cite book|author=Leslie C. Orr|title=Donors, Devotees, and Daughters of God: Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F___xKcP8lMC |year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-535672-4|pages=5, 8–17}}</ref> In 1910, the British colonial government in India banned temple dancing,<ref name=pallabinilan30>{{cite book|author1=Pallabi Chakravorty|author2=Nilanjana Gupta|title=Dance Matters: Performing India on Local and Global Stages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQly7wn0C5sC&pg=PA30 |year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-51612-2 |pages=30 }}</ref> and the dance artists were reduced to abject poverty from the lack of any financial support for performance arts, combined with stereotyping stigma.<ref name=carter148/>

===Post-independence===
The temple dance ban and cultural discrimination during colonial rule marshalled a movement by Hindus to question the stereotypes and to revive the regional arts of [[India]], including Odissi.<ref name=marysnodgrass166/><ref name="Walker2016p94"/><ref name="Alexandra Carter 2013 145–146"/> Due to these efforts, the classical Indian dances witnessed a period of renaissance and reconstruction, which gained momentum particularly after Indians gained their freedom from colonialism.<ref name=craine420>{{cite book|author1=Debra Craine|author2=Judith Mackrell|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=42g8Hp-xA48C |year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0199563449 |pages=420 }}</ref>

Odissi, along with several other major Indian dances gained recognition after efforts by many scholars and performers in the 1950s, particularly by [[Kavichandra Kalicharan Pattanayak]], an Oriya poet, dramatist and researcher. Pattanayak is also credited with naming the dance form as "Odissi".<ref name="Carter2013p145"/><ref>{{cite journal|author=David Dennen |url=https://www.academia.edu/2577115 |title=The Naming of Odissi: Changing Conceptions of Music in Odisha|journal=Ravenshaw Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies (Vol. 3) |date=January 2013 }}</ref>

==Repertoire==
[[File:Sitara Thobani Odissi classical dance mudra India (16).jpg|thumb|An Odissi dancer in ''nritya'' (expressive) stage of the dance.]]
Odissi, in the classical and medieval period has been, a team dance founded on Hindu texts.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p483"/> This drama-dance involved women (''Maharis'') enacting a spiritual poem or a religious story either in the inner sanctum of a Hindu temple, or in the ''Natamandira'' attached to the temple.{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|p=209}} The Odissi performing ''Maharis'' combined pure dance with expression, to play out and communicate the underlying text through ''abhinaya'' (gestures).{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|p=209}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Alexandra Carter|title=Rethinking Dance History: A Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYaMAQAAQBAJ |year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-48500-8|pages=149 }}</ref> The performance art evolved to include another aspect, wherein teams of boys – dressed as girls – called ''Gotipuas'' expanded the Odissi repertoire, such as by adding acrobatics and athletic moves, and they performed both near the temples and open fairs for general folksy entertainment.<ref name="Lochtefeld2002p483"/><ref name=carter148/> In the Indian tradition, many of the accomplished ''gotipuas'' became the [[guru]]s (teachers) in their adulthood.<ref name=carter148/> Modern Odissi is a diversified performance art, men have joined the women, and its reconstruction since the 1950s have added new plays and aspects of other Indian dances.

Love is a universal theme and one of the paradigmatic values in Indian religions. This theme is expressed through sensuous love poems and metaphors of sexual union in Krishna-related literature, and as longing eros (''Shringara'') in its dance arts such as in Odissi, from the early times.<ref name=carter148/><ref>{{cite book|author=Archana Verma|title=Performance and Culture: Narrative, Image and Enactment in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iAArBwAAQBAJ |year=2011|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn= 978-1-4438-2832-1|pages=43–47 }}</ref> Hinduism, states Judith Hanna, encourages the artist to "strive to suggest, reveal or re-create the infinite, divine self", and art is considered as "the supreme means of realizing the Universal Being".<ref name="Hanna1988p102">{{cite book|author=Judith Lynne Hanna|title=Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QGJ68sbWFVUC |year=1988|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-31551-5|pages=102–103 }}</ref> Physical intimacy is not something considered as a reason for shame, rather considered a form of celebration and worship, where the saint is the lover and the lover is the saint.<ref>{{cite book|author=Judith Lynne Hanna|title=Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QGJ68sbWFVUC |year=1988|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-31551-5|pages=98–106 }}</ref> This aspect of Odissi dancing has been subdued in the modern post-colonial reconstructions, states Alexandra Carter, and the emphasis has expanded to "expressions of personal artistic excellence as ritualized spiritual articulations".<ref name=carter148/>

The traditional Odissi repertoire, like all classical Indian dances, includes ''Nritta'' (pure dance, solo), ''Nritya'' (dance with emotions, solo) and ''Natya'' (dramatic dance, group).<ref name="NettlStone1998p519 ">{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone|author3=James Porter|display-authors=etal|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC |year=1998|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1 |pages=519–521 }}</ref>{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=207-214}} These three performance aspects of Odissi are described and illustrated in the foundational Hindu texts, particularly the ''Natya Shastra'', ''Abhinaya Darpana'' and the 16th-century ''Abhinaya Chandrika'' by Maheshwara Mahapatra of Odisha.<ref name="NettlStone1998p519 "/>{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=207–214}}
*The ''Nritta'' performance is abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance.<ref name=koskoff955/>{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=207–214}} The viewer is presented with pure movement in Nritta, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern. This part of the repertoire has no interpretative aspect, no telling of story. It is a technical performance, and aims to engage the senses (prakriti) of the audience.<ref name="Descutner2010p45">{{cite book|author=Janet Descutner|title=Asian Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8tCYjXOtkdgC |year=2010|publisher=Infobase|isbn=978-1-4381-3078-1|pages=45–46}}</ref>
*The ''Nritya'' is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions.<ref name=koskoff955>{{cite book|author=Ellen Koskoff|title=The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: The Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73MO0eiQD_EC&pg=PA955 |year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-99404-0 |pages=955 }}</ref>{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=207-214}} In a ''nritya'', the dance-acting expands to include silent expression of words through the [[sign language]] of gestures and body motion set to musical notes. This part of a repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer.<ref name="Descutner2010p45"/>
*The ''Natyam'' is a play, typically a team performance, but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A ''Natya'' incorporates the elements of a ''Nritya''.<ref name="NettlStone1998p519 "/>{{Sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=207–214}}
*The ''Mokshya'' is a climatic pure dance of Odissi, aiming to highlight the liberation of soul and serenity in the spiritual.<ref name=aroyo267>{{cite book|author= Alessandra Royo| editor=Pallabi Chakravorty, Nilanjana Gupta|title=Dance Matters: Performing India on Local and Global Stages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_QDgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA267|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-51613-9|page=267}}</ref>

Odissi dance recitals are in Odia and Sanskrit language and the music strictly follows ragas and talas of the [[Odissi music]] tradition.<ref name="NettlStone1998p519 "/> The talas used in Odissi dance are ''Ekatali, Khemata, Rupaka, Tripata, Jhampa, Jati Tala, Adatali, Matha, Aditala, Sarimana, Kuduka'' and others.

===Sequence===
Traditional Odissi repertoire sequence starts with an invocation called ''[[Mangalacharana]]''.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 ">{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone|author3=James Porter|display-authors=etal|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC |year=1998|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1 |pages=520 }}</ref> A ''[[shloka]]'' (hymn) in praise of a god or goddess is sung, such as to Jagannath (an [[avatar]] of Vishnu), the meaning of which is expressed through dance.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/> Mangalacharana is followed by ''Pushpanjali'' (offering of flowers) and ''Bhumi Pranam'' (salutation to mother earth).<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/> The invocation also includes ''Trikhandi Pranam'' or the three-fold salutation – to the devas (gods), to the gurus (teachers) and to the lokas or rasikas (fellow dancers and audience).<ref>{{cite book|author=Catherine B. Asher|title=India 2001: Reference Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F_BtAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=South Asia Book|isbn=978-0-945921-42-4|page=6}}</ref>

[[File:Mrutyuh.jpg|thumb|Odissi dance drama]]
The next sequential step in an Odissi performance is ''Batu'', also known as ''Battu Nrutya'' or ''Sthayee Nrutya'' or ''Batuka Bhairava''.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|pp=38–39}} It is a fast pace, pure dance (''nritta'') performed in the honor of [[Shiva]]. There is no song or recitation accompanying this part of the dance, just rhythmic music. This pure dance sequence in Odissi builds up to a Pallavi which is often slow, graceful and lyrical movements of the eyes, neck, torso and feet and slowly builds in a crescendo to climax in a fast tempo at the end.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|pp=38–39}}

The ''nritya'' follows next, and consists of ''Abhinaya'', or an expressional dance which is an enactment of a song or poetry.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|pp=38–39}} The dancer(s) communicate the story in a sign language, using ''[[mudra]]s'' (hand gestures), ''[[bhava]]s'' (enacting mood, emotions), eye and body movement.{{Sfn|Ragini Devi|1990|pp=144–145}} The dance is fluid, graceful and sensual. Abhinaya in Odissi is performed to verses recited in [[Sanskrit]] or [[Odia language]].{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|pp=38, 65}} Most common are Abhinayas on Oriya songs or Sanskrit ''Ashthapadi''s or Sanskrit ''stuti''s like the ''Dashavatara Stotra'' (depicting the ten incarnations of [[Vishnu]]) or the ''[[Ardhanari]] Stotra'' (half man, half woman form of the divine).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} Many regionally performed Abhinaya compositions are based on the Radha-Krishna theme.<ref name="Verma2011p43"/> The Astapadis of the Radha-Krishna love poem ''[[Gita Govinda]]'' written by Jayadeva are usually performed in Odisha, as part of the dance repertoire.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|p=36}}

The ''natya'' part, or dance drama, is next in sequence. Usually Hindu mythologies, epics and legendary dramas are chosen as themes.{{Sfn|Kapila Vatsyayan|1974|pp=35–37}}

A distinctive part of the Odissi tradition is the inclusion of ''Moksha'' (or ''Mokshya''<ref name=aroyo267/>) finale in the performance sequence. This is the concluding item of a recital.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/> [[Moksha]] in Hindu traditions means “spiritual liberation”. This dance movement traditionally attempts to convey a sense of spiritual release and soul liberation, soaring into the realm of pure aesthetics.<ref name=aroyo267/> Movement and pose merge in a fast pace pure dance climax.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>
[[File:Odissi dance at Nishagandi Dance Festival 2024 (358).jpg|thumb|right|Odissi dance by Ananya parida and Rudraprasad Swain]]

=== Basic moves and mudras ===
[[File:Odissi murals in Bhubaneswar.gif|thumb|Odissi [[mudra]] murals in [[Bhubaneswar]]]]
[[File:Madhumita Raut.jpg|thumb|Odissi pose at [[Konark Sun Temple]]]]
The basic unit of Odissi are called ''bhangas''. These are made up of eight ''belis'', or body positions and movements, combined in many varieties.{{sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=210–212}}  Motion is ''uthas'' (rising or up), ''baithas'' (sitting or down) or ''sthankas'' (standing).{{sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=210–212}} The gaits or movement on the dance floor is called ''chaalis'', with movement tempo linked to emotions according to the classical Sanskrit texts. Thus, for example, ''burhas'' or quick pace suggest excitement, while a slow confused pace suggests dejection. For aesthetics, movement is centered on a core, a point in space or floor, and each dancer has her imaginary square of space, with spins and expression held within it.{{sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=210–212}}   The foot movement or ''pada bhedas'' too have basic dance units, and Odissi has six of these, in contrast to four found in most classical Indian dances.{{sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=210–212}}

The three primary dance positions in Odissi are:<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>
*''Chouka'' – the square position, with weight equally placed on the two legs in a squatting position, spine straight, arms raised up with elbows bent.<ref name="bhumidance.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.bhumidance.com/basics-1 | title=Basics }}</ref>
*''Abhanga'' – the body weight shifts to one foot, while the feet and knees are kept forward in a standing position, one hip extending sideways and torso deflected away from supporting leg.<ref name="bhumidance.com"/>
*''Tribhanga'' – is an S-shaped three-fold bending of body, with torso deflecting in one direction while the head and hips deflecting in the opposite direction of torso. Further, the hands and legs frame the body into a composite of two squares (rectangle), providing an aesthetic frame of reference. This is described in the ancient Sanskrit texts, and forms of it are found in other Hindu dance arts, but ''tribhanga'' postures developed most in and are distinctive to Odissi, and they are found in historic Hindu temple reliefs.<ref name="NettlStone1998p520 "/>

''Mudras'' or ''Hastas'' are hand gestures which are used to express the meaning of a given act.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p64"/> Like all classical dances of India, the aim of Odissi is in part to convey emotions, mood and inner feelings in the story by appropriate hand and facial gestures. There are 63 ''Hastas'' in modern Odissi dance, and these have the same names or structure as those in the pan-Indian Hindu texts, but most closely matching those in the ''Abhinaya Chandrika''.{{sfn|Reginald Massey|2004|pp=210–212}}<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p64"/> These are subdivided into three, according to the traditional texts:<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p64"/>
* Asamyukta Hasta – Single hand Mudras – 28 Prakar (gestures, for instance to communicate a salute, prayer, embrace, energy, bond, swing, carriage, shell, arrow, holding a thing, wheel, and so on.)
* Samyukta Hasta – Double hand Mudras – 24 Prakar (gestures, for instance to indicate a flag, flower, type of bird or animal, moon, action like grasping, and so on.)
* Nritya Hasta – “Pure Dance” Mudras

The Mudra system is derived from the "Abhinaya Darpana" by Nandikeshavara and the ancient ''Natya Shastra'' of Bharata Muni.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p64">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=64–67}}</ref>

===Costumes===
[[File:The Odissi Costume - Dipanwita Roy.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The Odissi costume.|The Odissi costume]]
The Odissi dancers are colorfully dressed with makeup and jewellery. The [[saree|sari]] worn by Odissi dancers are brightly coloured, and usually of local silk (''Pattasari'').<ref>{{cite book|author=Dhirendranath Patnaik|title=Odissi dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TBtHAQAAIAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Odisha Sangeet Natak Adademi|pages=112–113}}</ref> It is worn with pleats, or may have a pleat tailor stitched in front, to allow maximum flexibility during the footwork.<ref name=nettl521/> These saris have traditional prints of [[Odisha]] with regional designs and embellishments, and may be the [[Sambalpuri saree|Sambalpuri sari]] and [[Bomkai|Bomkai sari]].{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

The jewellery includes silver pieces, a metal favored in regional tradition.<ref name=gaston81>{{cite book|author=Anne-Marie Gaston|editor=Hillary P. Rodrigues|title=Studying Hinduism in Practice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u9eoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA81|year=2012|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-68097-7 |pages=81 }}</ref> The hair is tied up, and typically drawn into an elaborate bun resembling a Hindu temple spire, and decorated with ''seenthi''.<ref name=nettl521/><ref>{{cite book|author=Dhirendranath Patnaik|title=Odissi dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TBtHAQAAIAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Odisha Sangeet Natak Adademi|pages=9–11}}</ref> The hairstyle may contain a moon shaped crest of white flowers,<ref name=nettl521/> or a reed crown called ''mukoot'' with peacock feathers (symbolism for [[Krishna]]). The dancers forehead is marked with ''[[Tilaka|tikka]]'', and adorned with various jewelry such as the ''allaka'' (head piece on which the tikka hangs). The eyes are ringed with [[Kohl (cosmetics)#South Asia|kajal]] (black eyeliner).<ref name="Patnaik1990p115">{{cite book|author=Dhirendranath Patnaik|title=Odissi dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TBtHAQAAIAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Odisha Sangeet Natak Adademi|pages=113–115}}</ref>

Ear covers called ''kapa'' or ear rings decorate the sides of the head, while necklace adorns the neck. The dancer wears a pair of armlets also called ''bahichudi'' or ''bajuband'', on the upper arm. The wrist is covered with ''kankana'' (bangles).<ref name="Patnaik1990p115"/> At the waist they wear an elaborate belt which ties down one end of the sari. The ankles are decorated with a leather piece on top of which are bells (''[[ghungroo]]'').<ref name=gaston81/> The dancer's palms and soles may be painted with red coloured dye called the ''[[Alta (dye)|alta]]''.<ref name="Patnaik1990p115"/>

Modern Odissi male performers wear ''dhoti'' – a broadcloth tied around waist, pleated for movement, and tucked between legs; usually extends to knee or lower. Upper body is bare chested, and a long thin folded translucent sheet wrapping over one shoulder and usually tucked below a wide belt.<ref name=nettl521>{{cite book|author1=Bruno Nettl|author2=Ruth M. Stone|author3=James Porter|display-authors=etal|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOlNv8MAXIEC&pg=PA319 |year=1998|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-8240-4946-1 |pages=521 }}</ref>{{Odissi Classical Music sidebar}}

=== Music and instruments ===
{{Main|Odissi music}}

Odissi dance is accompanied by the traditional classical music of the state of Odisha, [[Orissi music|Odissi music]]. Rooted in the ancient ritual music tradition dedicated to Lord [[Jagannath]]a, Odissi music has a rich history spanning over two thousand years, distinguished by its unique ''sangita-shastra''s (musical treatises), a specialized system of Ragas and Talas, and a distinctive style of performance characterised by the ''andolita gamaka''. The primary Odissi ''mela'' ragas are ''Kalyana'', ''Nata'', ''Sri'', ''Baradi'', ''Gouri, Panchama'', ''Dhanasri'', ''Karnata'', ''Bhairabi'' and ''Sokabaradi''.<ref name="orissaculture.gov.in">{{cite web|url=http://orissaculture.gov.in/dance.asp|title=Culture Department|publisher=Orissaculture.gov.in|access-date=19 May 2012|archive-date=3 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403151246/http://www.orissaculture.gov.in/dance.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Odissi dance, states Ragini Devi, is a form of "visualized music", wherein the ''[[Raga]]s'' and ''Raginis'', respectively the primary and secondary musical modes, are integrated by the musicians and interpreted through the dancer.{{Sfn|Ragini Devi|1990|pp=147–149}} Each note is a means, has a purpose and with a mood in classical Indian music, which Odissi accompanies to express sentiments in a song through ''Parija''.{{Sfn|Ragini Devi|1990|pp=147–149}} This is true whether the performance is formal, or less formal as in ''Nartana'' and ''Natangi'' used during festive occasions and the folksy celebration of life.{{Sfn|Ragini Devi|1990|pp=147–149}}

Like most Indian dance forms, an Odissi troupe performs with the accompaniment of a musical ensemble. The mini-orchestra consists of a number of instruments, often varying slightly by region; the ubiquitous ''[[tanpura]]''<ref name="Courtney, David and Chandrakantha">{{cite web |url=https://chandrakantha.com/music-and-dance/dance/odissi/ |title=Odissi |author=Courtney, David and Chandrakantha |website=Chandrakantha.com |date=1998–2021 |accessdate=27 June 2025}}</ref> <!-- Previous URL: https://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/nritya/odissi.html (included anchor text) --> is used for a consistent, droning ambience throughout, with the ''[[mardala]]''<ref name="Courtney, David and Chandrakantha"/> for percussion. Melodic instruments range from the [[harmonium]], ''[[bansuri]]'' (bamboo flute) or ''[[sarangi]]'' to the ''[[sitar]]'' and [[Indian violin|violin]].<ref name="Courtney, David and Chandrakantha"/> Additionally, ''[[manjira]]'' ([[finger cymbals]]) or other small, percussive instruments may be used.<ref name="Courtney, David and Chandrakantha"/><ref name="NettlStone1998p520" /> At times, vocalists may be featured, usually singing simple, rhythmic phrases and melodies with dancing specifically choreographed to match.

[[File:Odissi group performance.jpg|thumb|Odissi group performance]]

===Styles===
The Odissi tradition existed in three schools: ''Mahari, Nartaki'', and ''Gotipua'':

* ''Maharis'' were Odia [[devadasi]]s or temple girls, their name deriving from ''Maha'' (great) and ''Nari'' (girl), or ''Mahri'' (chosen) particularly those at the temple of [[Jagganath]] at [[Puri]]. Early Maharis performed ''Nritta'' (pure dance) and [[Abhinaya]] (interpretation of poetry) dedicated to various Hindu gods and goddesses, as well as Puranic mythologies and Vedic legends.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p49"/> Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of [[Jayadeva|Jayadev]]'s ''[[Gita Govinda]]''.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p49">{{cite book|author1=Sunil Kothari|author2=Avinash Pasricha|title=Odissi, Indian classical dance art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_0MAQAAMAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Marg Publications|isbn=978-81-85026-13-8|pages=41–49 }}</ref> This style is more sensuous and closer to the classical Sanskrit texts on dance, music and performance arts.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p49"/>
* ''Gotipuas'' were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. This style included martial arts, athletics and acrobatics. Gotipuas danced to these compositions outside the temples and fairgrounds as folksy entertainment.<ref name="KothariPasricha1990p49"/>
* ''Nartaki'' dance took place in the royal courts, where it was prevalent before the British period.<ref>Alessandra Lopez y Royo, "The reinvention of odissi classical dance as a temple ritual," published in ''The Archaeology of Ritual'' ed. Evangelos Kyriakidis, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA 2007</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Dhirendranath Patnaik|title=Odissi dance|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TBtHAQAAIAAJ |year=1990|publisher=Odisha Sangeet Natak Adademi|pages=84–85}}</ref>

== Schools, training and recognition ==

[[File:Kasturi Pattanaik-Photo-3.jpg|thumb|The performer is in an Odissi Dance Abhinaya, based on the popular Indian epic-Ramayan]]

=== Odissi maestros and performers ===
[[Kelucharan Mohapatra]],  [[Pankaj Charan Das]], [[Deba Prasad Das]] and Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties. [[Sanjukta Panigrahi]] was a leading disciple of Kelucharan Mohapatra who popularized Odissi by performing in India and abroad. In the mid-sixties, three other disciples of Kelucharan Mohapatra, [[Kumkum Mohanty]] and [[Sonal Mansingh]], were known for their performances in India and abroad. Some other notable disciples include, Debi Basu, [[Jhelum Paranjape]], [[Shubhada Varadkar]], Daksha Mashruwala and [[Nandita Behera]]. Laximipriya Mohapatra performed a piece of Odissi abhinaya in the Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack in 1948, a show upheld as the first classical Odissi dance performance after its contemporary revival.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100809/jsp/orissa/story_12788878.jsp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728151333/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100809/jsp/orissa/story_12788878.jsp | url-status=dead | archive-date=28 July 2013 | location=Calcutta, India | work=The Telegraph | title=Steps to success | date=9 August 2010}}</ref> Guru [[Mayadhar Raut]] played a pivotal role in giving Odissi dance its classical status. He introduced ''Mudra Vinyoga'' in 1955 and ''Sancharibhava'' in the Odissi dance items, and portrayed ''Shringara Rasa'' in ''[[Gita Govinda]] Ashthapadis''. His notable compositions include ''Pashyati Dishi Dishi'' and ''Priya Charu Shile'', composed in 1961.<ref>Kaktikar, A. ''Odissi Yaatra: The Journey of Guru Mayadhar Raut''. Delhi: B. R. Rhythms. 2010. {{ISBN|978-81-88827-21-3}}.</ref>

== Schools ==
=== IIT Bhubaneswar ===
Odissi has been included in [[Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar]]'s [[BTech]] syllabus since 2015 as the first Indian national technical institute to introduce any classical dance in syllabus.<ref name=TOI11September2015>{{cite news|last=Pradhan|first=Ashok|title=IIT Bhubaneswar becomes first IIT in country to introduce dance as BTech subject|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/IIT-Bhubaneswar-becomes-first-IIT-in-country-to-introduce-dance-as-BTech-subject/articleshow/48911403.cms|access-date=13 September 2015|work=The Times of India|date=11 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=Hin12September2015>{{cite news|last1=Barik|first1=Satyasundar|title=IIT-Bhubaneswar to train students in Odissi too|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/iitbhubaneswar-to-train-students-in-odissi-too/article7642531.ece|access-date=13 September 2015|work=The Hindu|date=12 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=NIE12September2015>{{cite news|title=IIT-Bhubaneswar Becomes First IIT to Introduce Odissi as a Course|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/IIT-Bhubaneswar-Becomes-First-IIT-to-Introduce-Odissi-as-a-Course/2015/09/11/article3022753.ece|access-date=13 September 2015|work=The New Indian Express|date=12 September 2015|archive-date=12 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912190353/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/IIT-Bhubaneswar-Becomes-First-IIT-to-Introduce-Odissi-as-a-Course/2015/09/11/article3022753.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===In Guinness World records===
[[Guinness World Records]] has acknowledged the feat of the largest congregation of Odissi dancers in a single event. 555 Odissi dancers performed at the event hosted on 23 December 2011, in the Kalinga stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The dancers performed the ''mangalacharana, Battu, Pallavi, Abhinaya'' and ''Mokshya'' dance items from the Odissi repertoire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/article335732.ece|title=Odissi dancers enter Guinness|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=27 March 2018|archive-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915060502/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/article335732.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/guinness-world-records-enlists-odissi-dance-show/254/29065/|title=Guinness World Records enlists Odissi dance show – Subrat dash – The Sunday Indian|website=thesundayindian.com|access-date=9 September 2021|archive-date=27 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027153954/http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/guinness-world-records-enlists-odissi-dance-show/254/29065/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

More than 1000 Odissi dancers performed at the World Cultural Festival<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/and-more/live-watch-art-of-living-s-world-culture-festival-2016-day-2_1864974.html|title=LIVE: Watch – Art of Living's World Culture Festival 2016 – Day 2|date=12 March 2016|website=india.com|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://odishasuntimes.com/2015/12/16/sri-sri-to-visit-odisha-to-prepare-for-world-culture-festival/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402085721/http://odishasuntimes.com/2015/12/16/sri-sri-to-visit-odisha-to-prepare-for-world-culture-festival/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2 April 2016|title=Sri Sri to visit Odisha to prepare for World Culture Festival |last=Ayaskant|website=odishasuntimes.com|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref> 12 March 2016. This is till date the largest congregation of Odissi dancers in a single event.

===Odissi Centre at Oxford University===
[[File:Oxford Odissi Centre.JPG|thumb|180px|[[Baisali Mohanty]] announcing the [[Oxford Odissi Centre]].]]
An Odissi dance centre has been opened from January 2016, at the [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160113/jsp/odisha/story_63528.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116080818/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160113/jsp/odisha/story_63528.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 January 2016|title=Odissi beats to resonate at Oxford University|website=The Telegraph (India)|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref> Known as [[Oxford Odissi Centre]], it is an initiative of the Odissi dancer and choreographer [[Baisali Mohanty]] who is also a post-graduate scholar at the [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://odishasuntimes.com/2015/12/26/odissi-centre-to-open-at-oxford-university-from-jan/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121150255/http://odishasuntimes.com/2015/12/26/odissi-centre-to-open-at-oxford-university-from-jan/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=21 January 2016|title=Odissi Centre to open at Oxford University from Jan |last=Ayaskant|website=odishasuntimes.com|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

Beside holding regular Odissi dance classes at its institution, the [[Oxford Odissi Centre]] also conducts Odissi dance workshops at other academic institutions in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/print.php?printFOR=storydetail&story_url_key=odishi-centre-to-open-at-oxford-in-january&section_url_key=state-editions|title=The Pioneer|website=The Pioneer (India)|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kalingatv.com/state-news/oxford-university-odissi-centre-jan/|title=Kalinga TV on Facebook|publisher=KalingaTV|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Indian classical dance]]
*[[Ghungroo]]
*[[Odissi music]]
*[[Gotipua]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
*''Odissi : What, Why and How… Evolution, Revival and Technique'', by [[Madhumita Raut]]. Published by B. R. Rhythms, Delhi, 2007. {{ISBN|81-88827-10-X}}.
*''Odissi Yaatra: The Journey of Guru Mayadhar Raut'', by Aadya Kaktikar (ed. [[Madhumita Raut]]). Published by B. R. Rhythms, Delhi, 2010. {{ISBN|978-81-88827-21-3}}.
*''Odissi Dance'', by Dhirendranath Patnaik. Published by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1971.
*''Odissi – The Dance Divine'', by Ranjana Gauhar and Dushyant Parasher. Published by Niyogi Books, 2007. {{ISBN|81-89738-17-8}}.
*''Odissi, Indian Classical Dance Art: Odisi Nritya'', by [[Sunil Kothari]], Avinash Pasricha. Marg Publications, 1990. {{ISBN|81-85026-13-0}}.
*''Perspectives on Odissi Theatre'', by Ramesh Prasad Panigrahi, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi. Published by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1998.
*''Abhinaya-chandrika and Odissi dance'', by Maheshwar Mahapatra, Alekha Chandra Sarangi, Sushama Kulshreshthaa, Maya Das. Published by Eastern Book Linkers, 2001. {{ISBN|81-7854-010-X}}.
*''Rethinking Odissi'', by Dinanath Pathy. Published by Harman Pub. House, 2007. {{ISBN|81-86622-88-8}}.
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==External links==
{{Commons category|Odissi}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X69dOnl_zKw Odissi solo performance: Nitisha Nanda], Arabhi Pallav, New Delhi 2013
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRl3Jdxn1ZQ Odissi group dance: Megh Pallavi], Vancouver 2014
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52bscmW8x80 Maryam Shakiba – Odissi Dance – Manglacharan Ganesh Vandana] Pushkar 2014
*[http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/Classical_Indian/Odissi/ Odissi links] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318135952/http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/Classical_Indian/Odissi/ |date=18 March 2011 }} at the Open Directory
*[http://www.narthaki.com/odissi/odidivi.htm Odissi schools], Classical Indian Dance Portal
*[https://pad.ma/grid/title/project==Odissi_Archive The annotated Odissi Dance Archive on Pad.ma]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090410060341/http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/2008/May-2008/engpdf/The_Story17-19.pdf History of Odissi and Geeta Govinda] JN Dhar, Orissa Review
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060505124201/http://www.bharatbhavankerala.org/oddissi.htm Bharat Bhavan], a [[Kerala]]-based Department of Culture information website.

{{Dance in India}}
{{Odia culture}}
{{Odisha}}
{{Dance}}
{{Hindudharma}}

[[Category:Odissi| ]]
[[Category:Arts of Odisha]]
[[Category:Culture of Odisha]]
[[Category:Jayadeva]]
[[Category:Classical dance genres of India]]
[[Category:Hindu temple dance]]
[[Category:Odissi exponents]]
[[Category:Odissi music]]
[[Category:Artforms based on Odissi music]]