it is mentioned in the two Tamil epic
poems, Shilappadigaram and
Manimegalai. Carvings at the Shiva
temple in Kanchipuram suggest that
this dance was well developed in the
Pallava dynasty(6th–9th c. C.E.), but
hard evidence for structured temple
dance, including the hereditary dancers
known as devadasis, did not appear
until the Chola dynasty(9th–14th c. C.E.).
Although royal patronage was an impor-
tant factor in its survival,
Bharatanatyam was performed primari-
ly in the temples until the twentieth cen-
tury, when the dance began to be
performed on stage.
As an artistic form, the dance’s pre-
sent technique was codified in the early
nineteenth century by four brothers in
the service of Raja Serfoji II of Tanjore.
Stylistically, Bharatanatyam presents a
sharply geometric line. The most char-
acteristic posture has a stiff upper torso,
with the knees flexed outward in line
with the rest of the body, and the feet
spread gently outward. This posture is a
recurring motif in any performance. As
in all the Indian dances, Bharatanatyam
has a well-developed vocabulary of ges-
tureand expression, which makes it
possible for the dancer to tell complex
stories. Like most other Indian dance
forms, Bharatanatyam has been influ-
enced by the shift from temple to
stage as its primary theater. Although its
roots lie in worshipand devotion, the
move to the stage has inevitably disrupt-
ed some of these religious connections.
For further information see Mohan
Khokar, Traditions of Indian Classical
Dance, 1984.
Bharati Dashanami
One of the ten divisions of the
Dashanami Sanyasis, renunciant
asceticswho are devotees (bhakta) of
Shiva. The Dashanamis were supposedly
established by the ninth-century
philosopher Shankaracharya in an
effort to create a corps of learned men
who could help to revitalize Hindu life.
Each of the divisions is designated by a
different name—in this case, bharati
(“Indian”). Upon initiation, new mem-
bers are given this name as a surname to
their new ascetic names, thus allowing
for immediate group identification.
Aside from their individual identity,
these ten divisions are divided into four
larger organizational groups. Each
group has its headquarters in one of the
four monastic centers (maths) suppos-
edly established by Shankaracharya, as
well as other particular religious associ-
ations. The Bharati Dashanamis belong
to the Bhuriwaragroup, which is affili-
ated with the Shringeri Mathin the
southern Indian town of Shringeri. The
Bharati division is elite because it is one
of the few that will initiate only brah-
mins. Other such divisions are the
Saraswati Dashanamis, Tirtha
Dashanamis, and Ashrama Dashanamis.
The Bharatis are unusual, however,
since only part of the division is
restricted to brahmins.Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) Modern Indian political party with
a strong Hindu nationalist (Hindutva)
orientation. The party was formed as the
political wing of the Hindu nationalist
organization known as Rashtriya
Svayamsevak Sangh(RSS), and many of
the BJP’s leaders have been RSSmembers
for decades. The BJPwas formed in 1980
after the dissolution of its predecessor
organization, the Jana Sangh. The latter
was an RSSaffiliate as well, several of the
whose leaders, notably Lal Krishna
Advaniand Atal Behari Vajpayee, have
also led the BJP. At first the BJPtook a
moderate political stance and fared
quite poorly, winning only two seats in
the 1984 elections. In the later 1980s it
took a far more militant tone, stressing
as its focal issue the campaign to build
the Ram Janam Bhumi temple in
Ayodhya. As the Indian electorate grew
more religiously polarized, the BJP
climbed to eighty-six seats in 1989 and
120 seats in 1991. In the 1996 elections it
won 160 seats, becoming the largest sin-
gle party in India’s 535-seat Parliament.Bharati Dashanami