Fact Sheet of India

Official Name: Republic of India

Area: 3.29 million square kilometers

Population: 1.027 billion (2001 census);
- Current growth rate: 1.2% per annum
- Lifespan: Male 62.3 years, female 65.3 years
- Death rate: 8.5 per 1000

Climate:
India has a varied continental climate with spring from March-April, summer from May-October and winter from November-February. Tropical monsoon stretches from June-August and post-monsoon or North-East monsoon season from Oct-Dec. Most of the rainfall is brought by the South-West monsoon. Owing to the geographical diversity, regional climatic conditions in the extreme north, east and west can differ vastly.

Geographical Location
- Location of India: Southern Asia
- Latitude: 8.4° to 37.6° North
- Longitude: 68.7° to 97.25° East
- Neighboring Countries: Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and China
- Seas/Oceans: Arabian Sea to the West, Bay of Bengal to the East and Indian Ocean to the South.
- Islands: Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea, Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal
India shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan to the north-west, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north, Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east. Sri Lanka is separated from the southernmost tip of India by the narrow Palk Straits and the Gulf of Mannar.

Major cities/towns:
Almost forty percent of India's 1.027 billion people live in urban centers, the four largest being Delhi (12 million), Mumbai (16 million), Kolkata (13.2 million), and Chennai (6.4 million). Other cities like Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc are rapidly developing into major centers of commerce and industry.

Indian Standard Time
IST is equal to GMT + 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Languages:
Hindi is the official language, but English is also widely used. In addition, 22 languages are recognized by the Constitution of India. There are more than 1,500 dialects.
Literacy: 70%

Religions:
India is a secular country with no state religion. Major religions include Hinduism (82%), Islam (12-15%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%)

Currency:
Rupee (1 Rupee = 100 paise) In May 2009, one US dollar equals approximately 47.30 rupees

Fiscal Year:
1st April to 31st March.

Structure of the state:
Union of 29 states and 6 Union territories with the Central Government based in New Delhi.

Political System:
Multi-party parliamentary democracy, based on universal adult franchise

Parliament
Bicameral legislature, with the Upper House known as the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lower House known as the Lok Sabha (Council of the People).

Last Elections:
April-May 2009
Current Government: Formed by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by Indian National Congress party.

Head of State:
President Hon'ble Smt. Pratibha Patil
Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

National Anthem:
Jana gana mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore

National Anthem:
The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas.

The first stanza contains the full version of the National Anthem:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mange,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

Playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certain occasions.

The following is Tagore's English rendering of the anthem:
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.

National Emblem:

A uni-dimensional adaptation of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashok, the emblem depicts three lions (from the four which stand back-to-back looking to north, south, east and west on the original capital), and part of the frieze on the abacus i.e. the Wheel of the Law (Dharma) in the centre flanked by a horse and a bull. The bell-shaped lotus which supports the original capital has been omitted and instead, inscribed below the abacus are the words "Satyameva Jayate" - "Truth Alone Triumphs" in the Devnagari script.

National Flag:

India's flag is a horizontal tricolour with deep saffron above, white in the middle and dark green below, in equal proportions. The saffron signifies the spirit of sacrifice; the white represents purity and the green fertility. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes, signifying progress. The width to length ratio of the flag is two to three.

National Calendar:

Based on the Saka Era with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days, the national calendar has a permanent correspondence with the Gregorian calendar with 1st Chaitra falling on 22nd March (21st March in leap years).

National Animal:

The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris (Linnaeus), is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes.
The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India.
Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers in India 'Project Tiger' was launched in April 1973. So far, 27 tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.

National Flower:

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.

National Bird:

The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus), the national bird of India, is a colorful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green train of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male, and lacks the train. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers, is a gorgeous sight. The peacock is widely found in the Indian sub-continent from the south and east of the Indus river, Jammu and Kashmir, east Assam, south Mizoram and the whole of the Indian peninsula. The Peacock enjoys protection from the people as it is never molested for religious and sentimental reasons. It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

In a country as diverse and complex as India, it is not surprising to find that people here reflect the rich glories of the past, the culture, traditions and values relative to geographic locations and the numerous distinctive manners, habits and food that will always remain truly Indian. According to five thousand years of recorded history.

From the eternal snows of the Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, from the dry heat and cold of the Central Plateau to the cool forest foothills, Indian lifestyles clearly glorify the geography. The food, clothing and habits of an Indian differ in accordance to the place of origin.

Indians believe in sharing happiness and sorrow. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighbourhood is involved in bringing liveliness to an occasion. A lot of festivals like Diwali, Holi, Id, Christmas, Mahaveer Jayanthi are all celebrated by sharing sweets and pleasantries with family, neighbours and friends. An Indian wedding is an occasion that calls for participation of the family and friends. Similarly, neighbours and friends always help out a family in times of need.

Ethnically Indians speak different languages, follow different religions, eat the most diverse varieties of food all of which add to the rich Indian culture.The beauty of the Indian people lies in the spirit of tolerance, give-and-take and a composition of cultures that can be compared to a garden of flowers of various colours and shades of which, while maintaining their own entity, lend harmony and beauty to the garden - India!

India is a land of a variety of linguistic communities, each of which share a common language and culture. Though there could be fifteen principal languages there are hundreds of thousands dialects that add to the vividness of the country.

18 languages are officially recognized in India of which Sanskrit and Tamil share a long history of more than 5,000 and 3,000 years respectively. The population of people speaking each language varies drastically. For example Hindi has 250 million speakers, while Andamanese is spoken by relatively fewer people.

Tribal or Aboriginal language speaking population in India may be more than some of the European languages. For instance Bhili and Santali both tribal languages have more than 4 million speakers. The vividness can be ascertained by the fact that schools in India teach more than 50 different languages; there are Films in 15 languages, Newspapers in 90 or more languages and radio programmes in 71 languages!

Indian languages come from four distinct families, which are: Indo-European, Dravidian, Mon-Khmer, and Sino-Tibetan. Majority of Indian population uses Indo-European and Dravidian languages. The language families divide India geographically too.

Indo-European languages dominate the northern and central India while in south India; mainly languages of Dravidian origin are spoken. In eastern India languages of Mon-Khmer group is popular. Sino Tibetan languages are spoken in the northern Himalayas and close to Burmese border. In terms of percentage, 75% of Indian population speaks languages of Indo-European family, 23% speak languages of Dravidian origin and about 2% of the population speaks Mon-Khmer languages and Sino-Tibetan languages.

Nearly five thousand years back flourished India's first major civilization along the Indus River valley. The twin cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa now in Pakistan were ruled by priests and held the rudiments of Hinduism. These civilizations are known to possess a sophisticated lifestyle, a highly developed sense of aesthetics, an astonishing knowledge of town planning and an undecipherable script language. The Indus civilization at one point of time extended nearly a million square kilometers across the Indus river valley. It existed at the same time as the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Sumer but far outlasted them. Surviving for nearly a thousand years the Indus valley civilization fell to tectonic upheavals in about 1700 BC, which caused a series of floods.
The coming of the Aryans around 1500 BC, gave the final blow to the collapsing Indus Valley civilization. At the dawn of Vedic ages the Aryans came in from the North and spread through large parts of India bringing with them their culture and religious beliefs. The Four Vedas or the important books of Hinduism were compiled in this period.

In 567 B.C. the founder of the Buddhist Religion Gautama Buddha was born. During this time lived Mahavira, who founded the Jain Religion. The Indian subcontinent is full of caves and monuments devoted to these religions and are worth a visit.
Two hundred years later, in the 4th century B.C., Emperor Ashoka, one of the greatest King of Indian history, led the Mauryan Empire to take over almost all of what is now modern India. This great leader embraced Buddhism and built the group of monuments at Sanchi (a UNESCO world heritage site). The Ashoka pillar at Sarnath has been adopted by India as its national emblem and the Dharma Chakra on the Ashoka Pillar adorns the National Flag.
They were followed by the Guptas in the north, while in the south part of India several different Hindu empires, the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Cheras spread and grew, trading with Europe and other parts of Asia till the end of the 1100s.
Christianity entered India at about the same time from Europe. Legend has it that St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in India in 52 A.D. Even earlier than that people of the Jewish religion arrived on India's shores.
In approximately the 7th century A.D. a group of Zoroastrians, or Parsees, landed in Gujarat and became a part of the large mix of religions in India today, each of which adds its important and distinctive flavour.
In the 15th century Guru Nanak laid the foundation of the Sikh religion in Punjab.

In 1192, Mohammed of Ghori, a ruler from Afghanistan, came into India and captured several places in the north including Delhi. When he went home he left one of his generals in charge who became the first Sultan of Delhi. During this time Islam, was introduced into a major part of Northern India. It may be mentioned that even before that, just after the period of the prophet, Islam was brought to the western coast of India by Arab traders and flourished in what is now Kerala.
The Dehli Sultanate gradually took control of more and more of North India over the next 200 years, till Timur, who was called "Timur the Lame" or "Tamberlane" came from Turkey in 1398 to attack India. He and his army stole all the valuables that they could carry and left again, and after that the Delhi Sultanate was never so strong again. Soon the Mughals, who were from Iran, came in and took control of the north.
In the meantime south , in 1336, the Hindu Vijayanagar empire was set up and became very strong.
The Europeans - Portuguese, French, Dutch, Danish and British - started arriving in the early 1600s. All of them held territories in India and made friends and enemies among India's rulers as they got more and more involved, with the Indian politics, but it was the British who eventually controlled most of India and finally made it one of their colonies.
India got its independence from Britain in 1947 after a long struggle led mostly by Mahatma Gandhi. In the process of becoming independent, India became, two countries instead of one. In the years since independence India has made huge progress and coped with great problems, and has developed its industry and its agriculture, and has maintained a system of government which makes it the largest democracy in the world.

India is set apart from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas, the highest, youngest and still evolving mountain chain on the planet. The subcontinent as it is rightly called, touches three large water bodies and is immediately recognizable on any world map. This thick, roughly triangular peninsula defines the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian sea to the west, and the India Ocean to the south.

India holds virtually every kind of landscape imaginable. An abundance of mountain ranges and national parks provide ample opportunity for eco-tourism and trekking, and its sheer size promises something for everyone. From north to south India extends a good 2000 miles (3200 km), where the island nation of Sri Lanka seems to be squeezed out of India like a great tear, the synapse forming the Gulf of Mannar.

Himalayas, the world's highest mountain chain and Nepal as its Neighbouring country dominate India's northern border. Following the sweeping mountains to the northeast, its borders narrow to a small channel that passes between Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, then spreads out again to meet Burma in the "eastern triangle." Apart from the Arabian Sea, its western border is defined exclusively by Pakistan.

North India is the country's largest region begins with Jammu and Kashmir, with terrain varying from arid mountains in the far north to the lake country and forests near Srinagar and Jammu. Moving south along the Indus river, the North becomes flatter and more hospitable, widening into the fertile plains of Punjab to the west and the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh and the Ganges river valley to the East. Cramped between these two states is the capital city, Delhi.

The states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and part of the massive, central state of Madhya Pradesh constitute West India. Extending from the Gujarat peninsula down to Goa, the west coast is lined with some of India's best beaches. The land along the coast is typically lush with rainforests. The Western Ghats separate the verdant coast from the Vindya Mountains and the dry Deccan plateau further inland.

India is the home of the sacred River Ganges and the majority of Himalayan foothills, East India begins with the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, which comprise the westernmost part of the region. East India also contains an area known as the eastern triangle, which is entirely distinct. This is the last gulp of land that extends beyond Bangladesh, culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese border.

India reaches its peninsular tip with South India, which begins with the Deccan in the north and ends with Cape Comorin. The states in South India are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, a favourite leisure destination. The southeast coast, mirroring the west, also rests snugly beneath a mountain range---the Eastern Ghats.

The Colorful mosaic of Indian festivals and fairs - as diverse as the land, is an eternal expression of the spirit of celebration. Observed with enthusiasm and gaiety, festivals are like gems ornamenting the crown of Indian Culture. They are round the year vibrant interludes in the mundane routine of life.

Every season brings along new festivals, each a true celebration of the bounties of the rich traditions followed for time immemorial. That's not all! The birthdays of Gods and Goddesses, saints and prophets, great historical happenings and the advent of the New Year, all find expression in colorful festivities. The same festival, though celebrated differently in the various parts of the country, exhibits an eternal harmony of the spirit of celebration.

Packed with fun and excitement, festivals serve as an occasion to clean and decorate houses, to get together with friends and relatives and to exchange gifts. New attire, dance, music and rituals- all add to their joyful rhythm. It is a time for prayer, for pageantry and procession卆 time to rejoice, in celebration of life.

The Indian cuisine boasts of an immense variety not restricted to only curry. An authentic Indian curry is an intricate combination of a stir-fried Masala - a mixture of onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes; various spices and seasonings with which meat; poultry, vegetables or fish is prepared to produce a stew-type dish. Note: the word Masala also means spice.
Food in India is wide ranging in variety, taste and flavour. Being so diverse geographically, each region has its own cuisine and style of preparation. Indian cuisine, renowned for its exotic gravies seems complicated for any newcomer. The Mughlai cuisine of North differs sharply from the preparations of the south. The Wazwan style of Kashmir is luxurious but the same can be said about Bengal's Macher Jhol, Rajasthan's Dal Bati, Uttar Pradesh's Kebabs and Punjab's Sarson Ka Saag and Makki di Roti. In India, recipes are handed down from generation to generation.
The unique and strong flavours in Indian cuisine are derived from spices, seasonings and nutritious ingredients such as leafy vegetables, grains, fruits, and legumes. Most of the spices used in Indian cooking were originally chosen thousands of years ago for their medicinal qualities and not for flavour. Many of them such as turmeric, cloves and cardamoms are very antiseptic, others like ginger, are carminative and good for the digestion. All curries are made using a wide variety of spices.
In Indian cuisine, food is categorized into six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter and astringent. A well-balanced Indian meal contains all six tastes, not always can this be accomplished. This principle explains the use of numerous spice combinations and depth of flavour in Indian recipes. Side dishes and condiments like chutneys, curries, daals and Indian pickles contribute to and add to the overall flavour and texture of a meal and provide balance needed.

The Indian telecommunications Network is the fifth largest in the world and is the second largest among the emerging economies of Asia.

Today it is the fastest growing market in the world. Private operators have made mobile telephony the fastest growing (over 164% p.a.) in India.
With more than 33 million users (both CDMA and GSM), wireless is the principal growth engine of the Indian telecom industry. Intense competition between the four main private groups - Bharti, Hutch, Tata and Reliance and with the State sector incumbents-BSNL and MTNL has brought about a significant drop in tariffs.
The Government has played a key enabling role by deregulating and liberalizing the industry, ushering in competition and paving the way for growth.

Art & Culture

Classical Dance and Music
Indian Classical Dance ".Abstraction of Upanishad thought which is assiduously translated in to well designed concrete language of artistic media."

It all started with Natya Shastra
Said to be written 2000 years ago by Bharata Muni, it is the seminal source book for dancers and performers. The mammoth book covers all technical and aesthetic aspects of the art of the Indian Theatre and Dance.
From the purpose of natya, to the architectural format, stage rituals, Rasa, Bhava, Abhinaya, gestic communication, music, types of instruments. 37 chapters that together form the nucleus of this fascinating performing art. Later century works like Abhinaya Darpana, Abhinaya Chandrike, also have great relevance to the dancer today.

Legend has it that the Devas (Gods) had vanquished the Asuras (Evil) and were relating the happenings to Brahma, the God of Creation. The Asuras thought this was a renewed attack and retaliated. Brahma intervened - "This is only a performance, hence forth it will only be held on earth".
And Brahma passed on all the information on Dance and Drama to Bharata Muni who compiled it as the Natya Shastra.

Sculpture Comes To Life
Temples were raised to the house the Gods and became the focal point for the community. They also became centres of learning and contributed to the advancement of such arts as sculpture, painting, music and dance. Mostly built by Kings, who were also the patrons of arts, encouraging continuity and enriching rituals of worship, the earliest basis of the classical performing arts.
It was from the temple that the Devdasi cult (Temple Dancers who performed for the Lord) began. Once a practice countrywide - the Kulvantalu in Andhra Pradesh, the Maibi in Manipur, the Devdasi in Tamil Nadu and the Mahari in Orissa, all trace their roots to the temple. The countless sculptures of dance poses in the temples, hint at the potency of dance as a path to spiritual exaltation and lays out a complete lexicon of dance techniques.
For instance, it is said that the greater part of vocabulary of Odissi dance is preserved in stone.
A rich heritage to be brought alive by the artist.

Classical Dance

Bharat Natyam, one of the oldest Indian Classical dance forms is an essence of dedicatory dance. This was performed by Devadasis in the temples, primarily in Tamil Nadu and to lesser extent in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Bharat Natyam is compounded from 'bha' for bhava or emotional projection, 'ra' for raga or melody and 'ta' for tala rhythm. Natyam means the art of dance.
The Sangam Age from 500 B.C to 500 AD marks the evolution of this dance form. The early part of the present century saw the resurgence of this dance form.
The key posture of this dance form requires the upper part of the body to be erect, the legs bent halfway down with the knees spread out, and the feet positioned like a half open fan. Practically every part of the body has its distinct movement.
The songs used are composed from the poetic literature of Tamil, Telegu, and Sanskrit and to some extent Kannada. The accompanying music is in pure Carnatic style.
Today, Bharat Natyam is not a dance style but a dance technique.

KUCHIPUDI

The art form takes its name from the village of its birth, in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi was the result of the Bhakti Movement in the 6th Century, Siddendra Yogi, the progenitor of the form, presented a dance drama with boys from the village of Kuchipudi. Consciously they raised the form above the reach of Devdasi. The boys were committed to an annual presentation of the form and they passed on the techniques to the next generation. So a tradition and a form were born.
The performer has to express through the language of gestures, speech and song. The Kuchipudi artiste, apart from being a dancer and an actor has to have a high proficiency - in Sanskrit and Telegu languages, music and the texts of performance.
Kuchipudi plays are performed in the open air on improvised stages at night. The sutradhar, or master of ceremonies plays an integral role introducing characters, providing humour and tying together the show. The fast paced nature of the form has made it a popular dramatic form.
It is better known as a solo form today but the wheel has come full circle with group work, with experimental choreography much in demand.

MOHINI ATTAM

Mohini Attam is one of the youngest Indian Classical dances. This form of dance came into its own by the 16th Century and was evolved under the patronage of Maharaja Swati Thirunal of Travancore (present day south Kerala).
Mohini means a maiden who excites desire and her dance is known as Mohini Attam. From the inception itself, Mohini Attam was conceived as a form of social diversion. The themes of the songs were both religious and social.
In the matter of technical format, there are many similarities between Mohini Attam and Bharat Natyam and also the central motif of adavus (gestures) being the same. It is essentially a solo dance and performed by women with tender and graceful body movements belonging to the lasya style. The hand gestures play an important part as a communication medium.
The costume comprises a white sari with gold ornaments on the neck, waist, wrists and a typical hair bun with flowers on the left side of the head.
The dominant emotion in Mohini Attam is of shringara (love).

KATHAKALI

Kerala presents to the country one of the most imposing and colourful spectacles of dance Kathakali. It is heroic, majestic and epic in character.
Though this form of art is not more than 300 years old, the actual roots can be traced to 1500 years earlier. It symbolises the blending of the Aryan and Dravidian cultures and is presumed to have evolved out of the various ancient theatre traditions of the region like Krishnattam, Ramanattam, Koodiyattam, Mudiyyetu and Teyyam. Mahakavi Vallathol of Cherutoorthi (Palakkad) contributed greatly in the revival of this art by forming Kalamandalam, the famous teaching institution, set up in the thirties.
Mostly based on the mythology and the themes of Ramayana and Mahabharata, a Kathakali performance opens with the thunder of drums, which invites the audiences. The performance lasts night long and till recently only men were allowed to perform even in female roles. Nowadays, though, many women have made their mark in this art form

As a form of art, Kathakali is a sophisticated spectacle of the supernatural.

ODISSI

A dance form born in the state of Orissa, manifested in temple sculptures from 2nd century BC, practiced and enriched by the Devadasis or maharis (as the temple dancing girls are called in Orissa). With the construction of the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century, the practice of dedicating maharis in the service of the temple was initiated and continues to this day.
At once sensuous and spiritual, it has the ability to portray erotic sentiments in a deeply reverential manner. Odissi is a highly stylised dance with tribhanga or the three-bend attitude of Hindu sculpture. The bhava or feeling is chaste and orthodox, with flashes of heightened dramatization.
The accompanying music is pure and classical, with graces of both the Hindustani and the Carnatic styles. The instruments traditionally used are the mandala-drums, gini-small cymbals and the flute.
Odissi has been restored to its rightful place only in the last few decades with the tireless work of Gurus like Pankaj Charan and Deba Prasad Das, Kelucharan Mohapatra and Mayadhar Raut .

MANIPURI

The Manipuris have song and dance woven in to their lives and regard themselves as the descendents of the Gandharvas. Their love for dance reflects their rich lore of legend and mythology.
There is no authoritative record of the history of Manipur's dance and music prior to the 18th Century AD.
However the lasting developments in technique and methods took place during the time of Jai Singh (1764-1789), who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and a follower of Vaishnavism.
Among the legendary and mythological tales, the Rasa Lila, dance performed by Shiva and Parvati and Lai Haraoba of Khamba and Thoibi the celebrated lovers, deserves special mention.
In the Ras Lila, the movements are extremely graceful coupled with soft and light steps in which the heels never touch down. The dancers have a fixed angelic expression on their face. The costume is extremely colourful and glittering.
Lai Haraoba is the oldest dance form of Manipur and belongs to the pre Vaishnava period. The dance style is diffused and meandering. The dancers make stylised hand and body movements, but the face remains blank. The steps are gentle yet powerful.
Even today dancing remains a key element in the art and daily ritual of Manipur.

KATHAK

Kathaks were originally story tellers who used to dance to illustrate 'Kathas' or stories. They were attached to the temples of North India.
With the advent of Muslim rule, Kathak went from the temple to the courts. Consequently Kathak flowered as a form in the Hindu courts of Rajasthan and the Muslims courts of Delhi, Agra and Lucknow. Court patronage evolved Kathak into a highly technical and stylished art with emphasis on the solo performers and their virtuosity.
Gradually, the two schools became distinctively different the Jaipur Gharana focussed on layakari, or rhythmic wizardly, while the Lucknow Gharana expounded bhava or moods and emotions. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was instrumental in the Lucknow Gharana's growth, ( Satyajit Ray's film Shatranj Ke Khilari, deals with the period). However, both schools have Radha & Krishna as their central theme.
Rhythm, timing and so footwork are the main planks of Kathak. The musical accompaniment to the 200 ghungrus or bells on the dancer's feet, are the sarangi and the tabla.
Kathak is a true fusion of the Hindu and Muslim genius in art and it the only Classical dance of North India.

CHHAU

The etymoligal root of the word Chhau is traced to the Sanskrit Chhaya or shade, referring to the mask used by the dancers. Others aver, it is derived from the word 'Chauuni' where the pharikhanda (shield & sword) soldiers stayed.

The technique of the dance, infact, draws on steps and gait which have stemmed from the 'Pharikhanda System'. It is basically a martial dance where the mask holds the dominant Rasa while the body creates, projects, and develops the moods.
Chhau has three schools as such, coming from Seraikella in Bihar, Mayurbhanj in Orissa and Purulia in West Bengal. While all the three Chhau forms are danced by men, Mayurbhanj uses no masks but the others do.
The themes are based on mythology, everyday life, aspects of nature or just a mood or emotion. Purulia Chhau, however, has a single focus - good triumphs over evil. The music is based on Hindustani Ragas and the Accompaniment is with a Nagara, a huge kettledrum, Dhol, a cylindrical drum, and Shehnai or reed pipes.
The strenuous nature of the dance restricts performances to brief periods, but in Purulia Chhau a single item could be a forty minutes and a performance, night long.

Indian Folk and Tribal Dances

Indian folk and tribal dances are simple , and performed to express joy. Folk dances are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, a wedding and festivals. The dances are extremely simple with minimum of steps or movements. The dances burst with verve and vitality. Men and women perform some dances exclusively, while in some performances men and women dance together. On most occasions, the dancers sing themselves, while being accompanied by artists on the instruments. Each form of dance has a specific costume. Most costumes are flamboyant with extensive jewels.
The northeast part of the country is the home for over 60 tribes. Each tribe has its own range of tribal dances. The exciting dances of the Nagas and the Bihus of Assam, are performed to celebrate spring and harvesting.
The chief folk dance of Gujarat, the Dandiya, is performed using sticks. Each performer holds two sticks, which they strike alternately to the right and left while the group dances. They also move diagonally, clockwise, anti-clockwise, as they strike the sticks.
The Bhangra dance of Punjab is performed by men, to the rhythm of the drum. The dance includes a wide range of leaps and jumps. Dancers stand on each other's shoulder while dancing to the music.
There are hundreds of Indian folk and tribal dances. Each region of India has its own folk dance. Both men and women perform the bamboo dance of Mizoram. While the men hold the bamboo, the women folk dance between the bamboo. In this performance, the sound of the bamboo hitting each other is the rhythm. Though dangerous if a rhythm is missed, these experienced dancers perform with grace and with care.
In the south, the dummy horse dance or the Poikalkuthirai, is very famous. Dancers fit dummy legs to their legs and dance to the tune of the music. Both men and women perform this form of art. In Tamil Nadu, dancers place a karagam or a decorated jug, on their head and dance while balancing the karagam.
While there are numerous folk and tribal dances, they are constantly improved. The skill and the imagination of the dances influence the performance.