Bharat Natyam is the most intricate, compact and glorious of all the South Indian Classical dance forms. Now, the moot question that strikes over mind is whether Bharat Natyam is purely and exclusively a South Indian style of dance! According to some experts, ‘there is abundant literary evidence to prove that this kind of dancing was prevalent in the past in North India…….’
So it can be stated that Bharat Natyam is not merely a regional South Indian dance- form. It is not just a style but an entire pattern or mode of classical dance, the fundamentals of which are followed meticulously in all other classical dance forms. Again, some people believe that the origin of Bharat Natyam was in Tamil Nadu. They believe that the science of drama and ancillary performing arts devised by Sage Bharat, gave birth to the ‘Bharat Natyam’ form of classical dance. These people hold the opinion that - ‘The present day Bharat Natyam appears to have grown from the forms of dances prevalent in Tamil Nadu.’ Two important Tamil works, Silappadikaran and Manime Khaloi of the Sangam Age (500 BC - 500 AD) of Tamil literature refer to the art of dancing. The commentary on Silappadikaran, written by Adyar Kunallar (12th century AD) is important from the point of explanations regarding some of the aspects of the art of dance… Some postures and expressions of Bharat Natyam are also manifested in the sculptures of the oriental temples. “Recent researches have brought to light the existence of this tradition in the south. In Tamil Nadu, a systematic sculptural record of ‘Natya Shastra Karanas is found in five temples situated in Tanjavur, Kumbhakonam, Chidambaram, Tiruvannamalai and Vriddha-Chalan. The influence of the technique of the Karanas has been traced in the bodily movements of pure dance and in some of the gestures found in use in contemporary Bharat Natyam.”
Research work about the origin of Bharat Natyam also revealed that: “In all early Tamil works, the dance is dance is known as Koothu”. The tradition of classical dance, which possibly developed from the Santi Koothu, in course of time, came to be known as Bharat Natyam. At the inception, ‘Bharat-Natyam’ was confined within the limits of Kurubhanji plays, spiritual plays etc. The credit of establishing this as an exclusive dance form goes to Punnaiya, Wadivellu, Chennaiya and Shivanand, the four brothers from Tanjore. They contrived of the exquisite style and techniques for an official presentation of Bharat Natyam. At the inception, ‘Bharat Natyam’ was confined within the limits of Kurubhanji plays, spiritual plays etc.