Where Kathak stories come from
Kathak comes from the word katha, which means a story. In old times, storytellers called kathakars told tales in temples and villages using voice, hand gestures and footwork.
Four great sources give Kathak most of its themes:
- Ramayana: the story of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, and the fight of good against evil.
- Mahabharata: the great story of the Pandavas and Kauravas, including the Gita.
- Bhagavata: tales of Krishna, from his butter-stealing childhood to the dance of Raas.
- Gita Govinda: a poem of the 12th century by Jayadeva about the love of Radha and Krishna.
A dancer picks a scene, then shows it with abhinaya (face and hands) and with rhythm.
The order of a recital
A recital is a chain of pieces. One common order is:
- Invocation (vandana)
- Bandish
- Abhinaya piece
- Tirvat
- Chaturang
- Tarana
Gurus and dancers may change the order or leave a piece out. What stays the same is the idea: start with respect, show skill, tell a story, and end with joy and speed.
Invocation and bandish
Invocation (vandana)
A short prayer at the start. The dancer bows to God, the guru, the musicians and the audience. It is sung or recited, and the dancer shows it with simple hand gestures.
Bandish
A bandish is a "tied" composition: a fixed pattern of dance syllables (bols) set to a tala. In Kathak the common kinds are the tukda and toda (short bright patterns) and the paran (a strong pattern with drum words). However long it is, a bandish must return to sam, the first beat of the cycle. Teentaal has 16 beats, so the dancer counts 1 to 16 and lands exactly on 1.
Abhinaya pieces
In an abhinaya piece the story matters more than speed. The dancer shows the meaning of each line with face, eyes and hands.
- Thumri: a light love song, often about Radha and Krishna.
- Bhajan: a prayer song.
- Gat bhav: a story shown with no words, only music and movement. A dancer may show Krishna playing the flute or Draupadi calling for help.
Tirvat, tarana and chaturang
- Tirvat: a short, bright piece built from drum-style syllables (like dha, tirakita). It is usually finished with a tihai, a pattern repeated three times that lands on sam.
- Tarana: a fast, joyful piece. The singer uses musical syllables with no story words (like ta, no, dir, dir), and the dancer answers with quick footwork and turns.
- Chaturang: chatur = four, ang = part. One piece joins four parts: a poem (sahitya), sargam (the names of notes sa re ga ma), tarana syllables and tirvat bols.
The three pieces are about rhythm and speed more than story. That is why they are placed where the dancer shows skill.
Try it: in the 3D and at home
In the last 3D step tap each of the six buttons and watch the figure walk the path. At home: clap 16 beats of Teentaal (1 to 16) and say "sam!" every time you reach 1. Then make a mini recital for your family with a bow, one story told with only hands, and a fast clapping finish.
Key formulas and definitions
- Kathak = katha (story) + kar (teller).
- Four story sources: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata, Gita Govinda.
- Common order: Vandana, Bandish, Abhinaya piece, Tirvat, Chaturang, Tarana.
- Bandish = bols set to a tala; it always returns to sam (beat 1).
- Chaturang = chatur (4) + ang (part) = poem + sargam + tarana + tirvat.
Worked examples
1. A dancer shows Krishna lifting a hill to protect the villagers. Which source is the story from, and which kind of piece is it?
The tale of Krishna and the hill is told in the Bhagavata. If it is shown with face and hands to a song, it is an abhinaya piece; if there are no words at all, it is a gat bhav.
2. A Teentaal bandish is danced 3 times without a break. How many beats does the dancer count, and where does the dancer land at the very end?
Teentaal has 16 beats, so 3 rounds = 16 × 3 = 48 beats. The dancer lands on sam, beat 1 of the next round, after the 48th beat.
3. A piece has sung notes (sa re ga ma), a poem, tarana syllables and drum bols. What is it called and how many parts does it have?
It is a chaturang, because chatur means four. The four parts are poem, sargam, tarana syllables and tirvat bols.
Common mistakes
- Thinking Kathak stories come only from the Ramayana. Four sources are used: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and Gita Govinda.
- Mixing up bandish and abhinaya. A bandish is a rhythm pattern in a tala; an abhinaya piece tells a story with face and hands.
- Forgetting that a bandish must end on sam (beat 1), not just anywhere.
- Believing chaturang has three parts. It has four: poem, sargam, tarana syllables and tirvat bols.