Natyashastra:
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) recently organised the academic programme titled ‘Natyashastra – Synthesis of Theory and Praxis’ during the 20th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the iconic Red Fort, Delhi.
- It is an ancient Sanskrit treatise on performing arts.
- The title is a combination of two Sanskrit words – Natya and Shastra.
- Natya refers to the technique of dance and drama, and shastra refers to science.
- It was composed by the sage Bharata Muni.
- It has been dated to between the second century BCE and the second century CE.
- It is the earliest known treatise on performative arts in South Asia.
- It comprises verses detailing drama (natya), performance (abhinaya), music (sangita), emotions (bhava), and aesthetic experience (rasa).
- One of the text’s most profound contributions is the articulation of the concept of Rasa, the essential emotional essence that lies at the heart of any great work of art.
- Bharata Muni identified eight primary Rasas – Shringara (love), Hasya (humor), Karuna (compassion), Raudra (anger), Veera (heroism), Bhayanaka (fear), Bibhatsa (disgust), and Adbhuta (wonder).
- He also explained how the skilled performer, through the skillful deployment of bhava (emotional expression), could evoke these sentiments in the audience.
- UNESCO added Natyashastra to its Memory of the World Register, recognizing its global cultural significance.
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was established as an autonomous body by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Culture.
