culture

The effect of the Bhakti movement is described by Justice Ranade in these words: "Like the Protestant reformation in Europe in the 16th century, there was a religious, social and literary revival and reformation in India, but notably in the Deccan in the 15th and 16th centuries. The religious revival was not Brahmanical in its orthodoxy, it was 
 At its head were saints and prophets, poets and philosophers, who sprang chiefly from the lower order of society, tailors, carpenters, potters, gardeners, shopkeepers, barbers and even scavengers more often than Brahmins." Literature and Language The literature and language of the Marathas also acted as a unifying force. The hymns of Tukaram were sung by all the classes and they served as a bond of unity among people who belonged to different sections of society. The songs in Marathi dialect and Marathi language played an important part. According to J.N. Sarkar, "Thus a remarkable community of language, creed and life was attained in the Maharashtra in the 17th century before political unity was conferred by Shivaji. 


Bharatanatyam, sometimes referred to as Bharathanatiyam or Sadir,[1] is a major genre of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu .[2][3][4] Traditionally, Bharatanatyam has been a solo dance that was performed exclusively by women,[5][6] and expressed Hindu religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, but also of Vaishnavism and Shaktism.[2][7][8]

athakali's roots are unclear. The fully developed style of Kathakali originated around the 17th century, but its roots are in temple and folk arts (such as Kutiyattam and religious drama of the southwestern Indian peninsula), which are traceable to at least the 1st millennium CE.[2][6] A Kathakali performance, like all classical dance arts of India, synthesizes music, vocal performers, choreography and hand and facial gestures together to express ideas. However, Kathakali differs in that it also incorporates movements from ancient Indian martial arts and athletic traditions of South India.[2][3][5] Kathakali also differs in that the structure and details of its artform developed in the courts and theatres of Hindu principalities, unlike other classical Indian dances which primarily developed in Hindu temples and monastic schools.[2][6]

The traditional themes of the Kathakali are folk mythologies, religious legends and spiritual ideas from the Hindu epics and the Puranas.[7] The vocal performance has traditionally been performed in Sanskritised Malayalam.[6] In modern compositions, Indian Kathakali troupes have included women artists,[4] as well as adapted Western stories and plays such as those by Shakespeare and from Christianity.[8]

Kathak traditionally has included female actor-dancers, unlike Kathakali which has traditionally been performed by an all male troupe.[3][73] Kathak deploys much simpler costumes, makeup and no face masks. Both dance forms employ choreography, face and hand gestures traceable to the Natya Shastra, but Kathak generally moves around a straight leg and torso movements, with no martial art leaps and jumps like Kathakali. Kathak uses the stage space more, and does not typically include separate vocalists. Both deploy a host of similar traditional Indian musical instruments.[3][74]

Kabuki, another Japanese art form, has similarities to Kathakali.[79][80] Jī

 The Rajasthan government has decked the Udaipur railway station in Nathdwara paintings in an attempt to keep the traditional art form alive.

More about Nathdwara Paintings

 Nathdwara Paintings refer to a school of artists that originated in Nathdwara in Rajasthan.

 The Nathdwara School of Painting is a subset of Mewar School and is seen as an important school in 17th and 18th century.

 These paintings have different sub-styles, of which the Pichwai Paintings are the most popular.

 Pichwai Paintings are cloth paintings hung behind the image of Hindu God, Shrinathji.

 Pichwai paintings illustrate different moods of Lord Krishna.

Udaipur, as we know it today, is the former principality of Mewar. In the ancient as well as medieval times, Mewar was known to be a great centre of artistic and cultural activities. The oldest manuscripts of Mewar painting include the ‘Supasanachariyam‘ and ‘Suparsanatham‘ painted in about 1423 AD. These show the traces of Apabhransa style, which can be identified with projecting eyes. The Mewar style as a distinct school emerged only by the end of 16th century. One immediate reason of development of this school was that a large number of artists migrated from Mandu to Mewar after Baj Bahadur, the ruler of Mandu was defeated by Mughals in 1570. Nathdwar is a substyle of mewar school of painting 

•  Nathdwara  (Rajasthan) is the main centre to make these paintings. 
• Pichwais mean 'at the back of', and these paintings are hung in the temples behind the deity. holding govardhan moountain...talk of cosmic union of brahman and consciousness