Hasta Bheda : Speaking through Mudras
There are a total of 28 mudras in the Abhinaya Darpan or the The Mirror of Gesture. It mentions that the dancer should sing the song by the throat, express the meaning of the song through hand gestures, show the state of feelings by eyes and keep track of the time with feet. From the Natya Shastra, the ancient Hindu treatise on the performing arts written by sage Bharata, this quotation is often taught to Indian classical dancers:
Understanding the dance mudras and executing them correctly is a part of building yourself as a powerful performer. Each finger in our hand plays an important role in reciting the story of dance. So let us first begin with naming our fingers.
Mudras in Odissi Dance are divides in four parts as follow:
Asamyukta Hasta Mudra – Single hand Mudras – 28 Prakar (types)
Samyukta Hasta Mudra– Joint hand Mudras – 23 Prakar (types)
Nrutya Hasta Mudra – 17 Prakar “Pure Dance” Mudras (Select few out of the above categories).
Parampara Hasta Mudra – 10 Prakar- Traditional Mudras commonly used for easy understanding
ASAMYUKTA HASTA
Single hand Mudras – 28 Prakar
These hand gestures are shown on single hand or on both hands separately
SAMYUKTA HASTA MUDRAS
Conjunctive Hand Gestures – 23 Prakar
These hand gestures are shown with both the hands joined together
NRUTYA HASTA MUDRA
These are hand gestures or pure dance mudras that are frequently used during performances. They are a collection of some Asumyukta and Sumyukta Hasta Mudras.
Pataka
Ardhapatak
Mayura
Hansasya
Chatura
Ardhachandra
Alapadma
Katakamukha
Suchi
Sikhara
Kapitha
Sukachanchu
Anjali
Swastika
Karkata
Dolahasta
Puspaputa
PARAMPARA HASTA MUDRA
Parampara Hasta Mudras are traditional Mudras commonly used during dance for easy understanding.
Bastra – Cloth
Tambula – Betel (Paan)
Puspa – Flower
Bana – Bow
Sukachanchu-
Padma – Lotus
Gabakshya – Window
Mayura – Peacock
Ubhaya Kartati – love and affection
Pradeepa – Oil Lamp