>GreenC bot at 15:36, 14 April 2021

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[[File:Gotipua dance in Raghurajpur ei2-39.jpg|thumb|Gotipua dance in [[Raghurajpur]]]]
[[File:Gotipua Dance 1.jpg|thumb|Gotipua dancers performing at Sterling Resort, [[Puri]], [[Odisha]]]]

'''Gotipua''' is a traditional dance form in the state of [[Odisha]], India, and the precursor of [[Odissi]] classical dance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gotipua Dance Festival |url=http://orissatourism.gov.in/new/GOTIPUA%20DANCE%20FESTIVAL.htm |publisher=Tourism of Orissa, [[Government of Orissa]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412165447/http://orissatourism.gov.in/new/GOTIPUA%20DANCE%20FESTIVAL.htm |archive-date=12 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It has been performed in Orissa for centuries by young boys, who dress as women to praise [[Jagannath]] and [[Krishna]]. The dance is executed by a group of boys who perform acrobatic figures inspired by the life of [[Radha]] and Krishna. The boys begin to learn the dance at an early age until adolescence, when their androgynous appearance changes. In the [[Odia language]], Gotipua means "single boy" (''goti-pua'').<ref>{{cite book |title=Odissi dance|author=Dhirendranath Patnaik |chapter=4. Gotipua Dancers|publisher=Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi |year=1971|page=60 }}</ref> [[Raghurajpur]], Odisha (near [[Puri]]) is a historic village known for its Gotipua dance troupes. The dance of the Gotipuas is accompanied by traditional [[Odissi music]] with the primary percussion being the [[Mardala]].

=={{anchor|The costume and make-up}}Dancers==
To transform into graceful feminine dancers the boys do not cut their hair, instead they style it into a knot and weaving garlands of flowers into it. They make up their faces with mixed white and red powder. ''Kajal'' (black eyeliner) is broadly applied around the eyes to give them an elongated look. The [[Bindi (decoration)|bindi]], usually round, is applied to the forehead, surrounded with a pattern made from [[sandalwood]]. Traditional paintings adorn the face, which are unique to each dance school.

The costume has evolved over time. The traditional dress is a ''Kanchula'', a brightly coloured blouse with shiny decorations. An apron-like, embroidered silk cloth (''nibibandha'') is tied around the waist like a [[Ruffle (sewing)|ruffle]] and worn around the legs. Some dancers still adhere to tradition by wearing a ''pattasari'': a piece of thin fabric about {{convert|4|m|ftin}} long, worn tightly with equal lengths of material on both sides and a knot on the navel. However, this traditional dress is often replaced by a newly designed cloth which is easier to put on.

Dancers wear specially designed, beaded jewellery: necklaces, bracelets, armbands and ear ornaments. Nose-piercing jewellery has been replaced with a painted motif. Ankle bells are worn, to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet are painted with a red liquid known as ''alta''. The costume, jewellery and bells are considered sacred.

=={{anchor|History of the Gotipua Dance}}History==
Long ago, the temples in Orissa had female dancers known as [[devadasi]]s (or ''mahari''), who were devoted to [[Jagannath]], which gave rise to [[Mahari dance]]. Sculptures of dancers on bas-reliefs in temples in Orissa (and the [[Konark Sun Temple|Konark Sun]] and [[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jagannath Temples]] in Puri) demonstrate this ancient tradition. With the decline of ''mahari'' dancers around the 16th century during the reign of Rama Chandra Dev (who founded the Bhoi dynasty), boy dancers in Orissa continued the tradition. Gotipua dance is in the Odissi style, but their technique, costumes and presentation differ from those of the ''mahari''; the singing is done by the dancers. Present-day Odissi dance has been influenced by Gotipua dance. Most masters of Odissi dance (such as [[Kelucharan Mohapatra]], from [[Raghurajpur]]) were Gotipua dancers in their youth.

Odissi dance is a combination of ''tandava'' (vigorous, masculine) and ''lasya'' (graceful, feminine) dances. It has two basic postures: ''tribhangi'' (in which the body is held with bends at the head, torso and knees) and ''chouka'' (a square-like stance, symbolising Jagannath). Fluidity in the upper torso is characteristic of Odissi dance, which is often compared to the gentle sea waves which caress the Orissa beaches.

Each year, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre organises the Gotipua Dance Festival in [[Bhubaneswar]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Gotipua fest starts in city|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-16/bhubaneswar/30405318_1_young-boys-gotipua-fest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618031909/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-16/bhubaneswar/30405318_1_young-boys-gotipua-fest |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 June 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=16 November 2011 }}</ref>

=={{anchor|The repertoire of the dance}}Repertoire==
{{Odissi Classical Music sidebar}}The dance typically begins with a ''vandana'' prayer (an invocation, with prayers of gratitude to Mother Earth, Jagannath and one's guru and welcoming the audience). The dancers perform a three-step salutation: the first above their heads towards God, the second in front of their faces for the guru and the third in front of their chests for the audience. The ''Sarigama'' is a dance celebrating beauty, and highlighting the mastery of technique; it is portrayed by dancers and musicians carved into the outer walls of ancient temples.

The ''Abhinaya'' is the enactment of a song and interpretation of ancient poetry. This dance depicts [[Radha Krishna]]-oriented poems, such as the 12th-century [[Gita Govinda]]. The verses used for narration are extremely ornate in content and suggestion. Graceful, fluid, and sensual, the ''Abhinaya'' resembles a moving love poem with its facial expressions, eye movement and [[mudra]] gestures:

<poem>
"Come and see, my love
Here comes Krishna, the flute player, the Supreme Performer
Come and see, my love
He dances wearing ankles bells
So lovely rhythmic patterns he makes
Listen to his melodies, the mardala beats
Listen to his flute and clappings."
</poem>

An interesting part of Gotipua is ''Bandha Nrutya'', the presentation of acrobatic yogic postures (referring to mythological scenes from the life of Krishna) similar to visual presentations by the [[pattachitra]] artists of Orissa. The difficult and intricate poses (requiring suppleness of limb) are known as ''bandha'' ("acrobatic" in the [[Odia language]]). To perform this dance, boys need to start learning it at the age of five or six. Musical accompaniment is provided by the ''[[mardala]]'' (a two-headed drum, a percussion instrument in Orissa), ''gini'' (small cymbals), [[Harmonium (hand-pumped)|harmonium]], violin, [[bansuri]] and one or two vocalists.

''Abhinaya Chandrika'' (a 15th-century text on Odissi dance by Maheshwara Mahapatra) provides a detailed study of the movements of the feet, hands (''mudras''), the standing postures, movement and repertoire; it mentions more than 25 varieties of ''bandha'' including ''Gagana'', ''Dhurmukha'', ''Torona'' and ''Shayana''. ''Sangita Darpana'', a 17th-century text about music and dance, gives a complete repertory and overall style of presentation.

Some ''bandhas'' are found in oral tradition; these include:
*''Chira'' (welcome pose)
*''Padmasana'' (lotus pose)
*''Hansa'' (swan; represents wisdom, grace and beauty and is a vehicle for the goddess [[Saraswati]])
*''Mayura'' (peacock; sacred bird of Hindu mythology, whose feathers adorn Krishna's head)
*''Chara Mayura'' (grazing peacock, representing splendor and majesty)
*''Keli kadamba'' (holy tree under which Krishna played)
*''Garuda'' (mythical eagle; vehicle of Vishnu)
*''Kandarpa Ratha'' (chariot of Kandarpa, god of love)
*''Sagadi'' (wheel, representing the wheels of Jagannath's chariot)
*''Nauka'' (boat)
*''Kaliyadalana'' (the defeat of Blacksnake by Krishna)
*''Bakasura'' ([[Bhima]] killing [[Bakasura]] in the ''[[Mahabharata]]'')

[[Maguni Charan Das]], [[Padma Shri]] awardee and a recipient of the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, was one of the masters of the Gotipua dance.<ref name="Eminent dancer Guru Maguni Charan Das dies">{{cite web | url=http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=9459 | title=Eminent dancer Guru Maguni Charan Das dies | publisher=Orissa Diary | date=5 December 2008 | access-date=November 23, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124094507/http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=9459 | archive-date=24 November 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
{{commons category|Gotipua}}
* [[Folk dance forms of Orissa]]
* [[List of Indian folk dances]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gotipua.com www.gotipua.com]

{{Dance in India}}
{{Odia culture|state=collapsed}}


[[Category:Odissi]]
[[Category:Indian folk dances]]
[[Category:Odia culture]]
[[Category:Artforms based on Odissi music]]

Gotipua - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 15:36, 14 April 2021