Odissi

Odissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the others being Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya. It originated in the temples of Odisha, particularly the Jagannath temple at Puri and the Sun Temple at Konark, and is widely regarded as the oldest surviving Indian dance form on the basis of archaeological evidence — sculptural depictions in the Ranigumpha (Udayagiri-Khandagiri) caves, datable to the 2nd century BCE under the Kalinga king Kharavela. The form draws textual sanction from Bharata's Natyashastra and from Odisha's own treatise, the Abhinaya Chandrika of Maheshvara Mahapatra, and the Abhinaya Darpana. Historically it was performed by the maharis (temple dancers dedicated to Jagannath) and later by the gotipuas, young boys dressed as women who danced in akharas, preserving the tradition during the medieval decline of the devadasi system.

The technique of Odissi rests on two basic postures: the chauka, a square, masculine stance symbolising Lord Jagannath, and the tribhanga, a graceful three-fold bend of the body at the neck, torso and knee that gives the form its distinctive lyrical, sculpturesque quality. Movements are fluid and sensuous, mirroring the bhanga (deflections) seen in Odishan temple sculpture. A traditional Odissi recital follows a fixed repertoire sequence: Mangalacharan (invocation), Batu or Sthayi (pure nritta), Pallavi (elaboration of a raga), Abhinaya (expressive interpretation, often of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda), and Moksha (the climactic dance of liberation). The accompanying music belongs to the Odissi gharana, distinct from Hindustani and Carnatic systems, with the mardala (pakhawaj-type drum) as the principal percussion.

The 20th-century revival was led by gurus such as Kelucharan Mohapatra, Pankaj Charan Das, Deba Prasad Das and Mayadhar Raut, who codified the form for the proscenium stage; the dancer Sanjukta Panigrahi brought it international recognition. Kelucharan Mohapatra received the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. Institutions like the Odissi Research Centre (Bhubaneswar) and Kala Vikash Kendra sustain its training. As of 2026 Odissi continues to be performed globally and taught at the Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi and university departments, with the Konark Dance Festival serving as a flagship annual showcase.

For the UPSC examination, Odissi appears in General Studies Paper I (Indian art and culture) within the Prelims and Mains art-and-culture syllabus, and is a recurring topic in the optional and in CSE Prelims one-liners. Typical question angles ask candidates to match classical dance forms with their states of origin, to identify the tribhanga and chauka postures, to associate Odissi with the Gita Govinda and the Jagannath cult, or to name its key exponents (Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi). Distinguishing the maharis and gotipuas, and linking Odissi to the Udayagiri caves and Sun Temple of Konark, are high-yield facts frequently tested in objective format.