---
title: "Abhinaya Darpana: Dance Treatise | Model Diplomat"
description: "Abhinaya Darpana is a key Sanskrit treatise by Nandikeshvara on classical Indian dance, essential for UPSC art-and-culture studies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/abhinaya-darpana"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Abhinaya Darpana is a Sanskrit treatise by Nandikeshvara codifying the gestures, postures, and expressive techniques of classical Indian dance.
- Who wrote the Abhinaya Darpana and when?
- How does the Abhinaya Darpana differ from the Nāṭyaśāstra?
- What does the Abhinaya Darpana catalogue in detail?
- Why is the Abhinaya Darpana relevant to UPSC art-and-culture preparation?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Abhinaya Darpana is a Sanskrit treatise by Nandikeshvara codifying the gestures, postures, and expressive techniques of classical Indian dance.

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In 1936, Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra in Chennai, building its Bharatanatyam pedagogy on the gestural vocabulary codified in Nandikeshvara's Abhinaya Darpana.

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