HAND GESTURES

Home page | Hand Gestures | Foot Movements| Facial Expressions | Costume |

Hand Gestures or Hand mudras are one of the striking features of the classical dance. They are the touchstones of dance. The dancer is able to express all ideas and symbols through the language of gestures or mudrabasha. The beauty of Natya can be revealed to its maximum by the Hasthamudras and Hasthachalana.Hastha forms the part of angika abhinaya , the other being mukhabhinaya, facial expression. Hasthas enable the dancer to augment the communicate between people.It also enhances the impact of abhinaya. But mudras should be employed in accordance with the bodily movements, facial expression and suitable situations.Care should be taken to see that mudras expressed should not alter the meaning thus casing damage to bhava and sentiments.

The origin of employing mudras can be found in many ancient works of dances, music,drama etc.,In Natyasastra Bharatha muni defines many number of hasthas, belonging to various categories. They are Nrityahastha, Hasthabhedha, Dasavatara hasthas, Devata hasthas and so on.He has classified hasthas braodly under three heads, Asamyutha Hasthas (single handed,) Samyutha Hasthas(double handed)and Nritta Hasthas (Mixed Hasthas).Bharatha enumerates 24 asamyutha hasthas, 13 samyutha hasthas and 27 nritta hasthas.But Nandikeswara in his Abhinayadarpana describes 28 asamyutha hasthas, 24 samyutha hasthas and13 nritta hasthas.

Nandikeswara in his Abhinayadarpana has stressed the importance of hasthas. He states the dancer should sing the song by the throat,express the meaning of the song through the hand gestures, show the state of feeling by her eyesand keep time by her feet. He further states that where the hand goes , there the eyes follow, where the eye goes there follows the mind, where the mind goes there follows the mood, where the mood goes there follows the rasa.

"Yatho hastha sthatho drishti, yatho drishti sthatho mana: yatho mana: sthatho bhava, yatho bhava sthatho rasa"

Asamyutha Hasthas

Asamyutha hasthas are single handed gestures Bharatha Muni describes 24 gestures.

Pataka Tripataka Arthapathaka Kartharimukha Mayura Arthachandra Arala Sukathunda Mushti Kapitha Katakhamukha Suchi Chanrakala Padmakosa Sarpairas Mrigasiras Simhamukha Kangula Alapadma Chathura Bhramara Hamsasya Hamsapaksha Samdamsa Mukula Tamrachuda Trisula

Samyutha Hasthas

The mudras revealed by both the hands are grouped under samyuthahasthas.It is the combined hasthas ,when two asamyutha hasthas are combined it becomes Samyutha hasthas.There are 23 Samyutha hasthas.

Anjali Kapodha Karkata Swasthi Dolam Pushpaputa Utsanga Shivalinga Katakavardhana Karthariswasthi Shakata Shangu Chakaram Samputa Pasa Kilaka Matsya Kurma Varagha Garuda Nagabandha Katva Berunda