Mohiniyattam

Mohiniyattam, (Malayalam: മോഹിനിയാട്ടം), is an Indian classical dance form that developed and remained popular in the state of Kerala.[1][2] Kathakali is another classical dance form of Kerala.[3][4] Mohiniyattam dance gets its name from the word Mohini – a historical enchantress avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu, who helps the good prevail over evil by developing her feminine powers.[1][5]

Mohiniyattam's roots, like all classical Indian dances, are in the Natya Shastra – the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text on performance arts.[6][7] However, it follows the Lasya style described in Natya Shastra, that is a dance which is delicate, eros-filled and feminine.[2][8] It is traditionally a solo dance performed by women after extensive training, though nowadays men can also perform the dance.[9][10][11][12] The repertoire of Mohiniyattam includes music in the Carnatic style, singing and acting a play through the dance, where the recitation may be either by a separate vocalist or the dancer themselves. The song is typically in Malayalam-Sanskrit hybrid called Manipravalam.[2]

The earliest mention of the word is found in the 16th-century legal text Vyavaharamala, but the likely roots of the dance are older.[13] The dance was systematized in the 18th century, was ridiculed as a Devadasi prostitution system during the colonial British Raj, banned by a series of laws from 1931 through 1938, a ban that was protested and partially repealed in 1940.[14] The socio-political conflict ultimately led to renewed interest, revival and reconstruction of Mohiniyattam by the people of Kerala, particularly the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon.[2]

History

Mohiniyattam is a classical Indian dance,[17] which by definition traces its repertoire to the foundational text Natya Shastra.[6] The Natya Shastra text is attributed to the ancient scholar Bharata Muni.[18][19][20] Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE,[21][22] but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE.[23] The text describes the basic elements and the structure of two types of dance: the vigorous, high energy Tāṇḍava dance (Shiva) and the gentle, calmingly graceful Lāsyā dance (Parvati, Shiva's lover).[8] Mohiniyāttam follows the structure and aims of the Lāsyā dance in Natya Shastra.[2][8]

According to Reginald Massey, Mohiniyattam's history is unclear.[5] Kerala, the region where this dance genre developed and is popular, has a long tradition of lasya style dances whose basics and structure may be at the root. The earliest evidence of Mohiniyattam, or a Mohiniyattam-like dance tradition is found in temple sculpture of Kerala. The 11th century Vishnu temple at Trikodithanam, and the Kidangur Subramanya temple, have several sculptures of female dancers in Mohiniyattam pose.[24] The textual evidence from 12th century onwards suggest that Malayalam poets and playwrights included Lāsyā themes. The 16th century Vyavaharamala by Nambootiri contains the first known mention of the term Mohiniyattam, in the context of a payment to be made to a Mohiniyattam dancer.[13] Another text, Gosha Yatra, from the 17th century too mentions the term.[13] The 18th century Balarama Bharatam, a major secondary work on Natya Shastra composed in Kerala, mentions many dance styles including Mohini Natana.[13]