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K Ramachandran has directed the 40 minute documentary 'Sikhi' (the fire) based on Nangiarkoothu with focus on those traditional performers who laid the foundation for present trends in this dance theater form. Produced by artist Bose Krishnamachari, the film features Usha Nangiar (a disciple of Ammanur Madhava Chakyar) as well as others including 67 year old Sarojini Nangiaramma, who belongs to the old school of Nangiarkoothu. |
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It has been a matter of speculation why the karanas are found on southern temples. The Natyasastra is believed to be a Kashmiri text. Vasundara Filliozat reports that inscriptional evidence indicates a continuous movement of Saiva teachers from Kashmir to the South and that Kashmir may have been the original home of many Agama texts. ('Dancing ancient texts and temple sculptures' by Alessandra Lopez y Royo - ebook: ReConstructing and RePresenting dance: exploring the dance/archaeology conjunction, Metamedia Collaborative, Stanford University, 2007 http://humanitieslab.stanford.edu/117/Home) |
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After
Orissa was annexed to the Mughal Empire of Akbar in 1592, Ramachandra Deva
(the Raja of Khurda) was appointed Superintendent of the Jagannath temple.
The Maharis who were exclusively appointed to temple services, were now
employed to dance at the royal court of Khurda and from that time on, they
lost their religious status.
(Chapter "Dance in Ancient Orissa", Dance Dialects of India by Ragini Devi) |
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