music and dance

Music and dance are essential parts of Indian composite culture. The range of musical phenomenon in India extends from pop, folk to the classical forms which include Hindustani and Carnatic music. Other forms of music include gazal, quawali, thumiri, Rabindrasangeet, bhajan and filmi music. Music in India is loved and listened as a source of religious inspiration or for pure entertainment. Indians are great followers of western music as well.   This is evident in Indian pop numbers and in the various songs of Hindi and regional films. Indian musical instruments like the veena, tabla, mridangam, sitar, flute and sarangi are integral parts of Indian classical music. Some of the famous exponents of music in India are Vilayat Khan, Bismillah Khan, Allauddin Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, M.S. Subhalakshmi and Sri Purandara Dasa.

India is the birth place of several classical dance forms, each of which represents the culture and ethos of a particular region in the country. The classical dance forms still practiced in India are Bharatnatyam in Tamil Nadu, Kathakali and Mohiniattam in Kerela, Kuchippudi in Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri in Manipur, Kathak in Uttar Pradesh, and Odissi in Orissa. The different dance forms represent India’s varied culture.

Indian dance has influenced other art forms like poetry, literature, music and sculpture as well. Indian classical dance forms can be linked to 2nd century BC. The dance forms revolve around nine rasas or emotions. They are Hasya (happiness), krodha (anger), bhibasta (disgust), bhaya (fear), shoka (sorrow), viram (courage), karuna (compassion), adbhuta (wonder) and shanta (serenity Besides, there are several forms of Indian folk dances, and special dances which observed during festive occasions. Chhau dance of Bihar, Bhangra of Punjab and Garba of Gujarat are also popular.

To know more about regional “Music & Dance” of a particular state, UT or city of India,. .