Decoding Bharata Natyam - The Costume and Jewelry

In all the years that I learnt dance, that is, Bharata Natyam, and performed it on stage, many people, even those who said that they did not understand it would tell me that the costume and jewelry for Bharata Natyam looked fabulous. When I would get ready and stand in front of the mirror in full costume and  makeup, I would feel a certain sense of pride at looking the part. However, there is a lot of intricacy to the entire get-up that makes a Bharata Natyam dancer.

Let me talk about the costume first. Amongst all the variations, there are two main styles of Bharata Natyam costumes, the saree style and the pajama style. I still remember my first costume being a saree style one, which my mother had folded and stitched herself. Nowadays, in both the styles, the saree is cut up. The saree itself is a Dharmabalam saree (not a Kanjeevaram as is commonly believed) of a bright color like red, pink, yellow, green or blue. It needs to have a contrasting border with solid zari.

In the pajama style, the costume comprises at least five separate pieces; the blouse, the pallu, the fan(s), the pajama, and the waist cover. In the saree style, there are usually four pieces; the blouse, the pallu, the skirt and the fan.

Once you wear the costume, the next step is to tie the hair which involves a bun on top of the head and a long plait whose ends are tied with three kunjams. Keep many pins and clips ready. After the hair is tied, the dancer needs to put flowers around the bun, usually white ones on top, and orange ones on bottom. You can also decorate the plait with a strand of flowers or tie some brooches to it. Here I must tell you a funny incident that happened between my Guru and me. I was supposed to perform one evening, and while tying my hair, I made the plait too long. Now, Auntie, my Guru usually inspected us from head to toe before we went on stage and would make us change if she felt something was not as it should be. Now, once I realized that my plait was too long, I was already fully ready and not inclined to correct it, as it would mean starting all over. So, when Auntie, amidst all her activities, came to look me over, I carefully did not turn around. Auntie realized vaguely that something was amiss and began to circle me. Quickly, I moved with her and did not let her see my back. Some sudden distraction saved me from discovery and a sure scolding, and I managed to fold the plait a little, tying it with my dance belt so that it did not look too long and odd. Afterwards, the memory often made me smile, of Auntie looking a little puzzled trying to pinpoint exactly what was wrong with my appearance and myself, circling along with her to keep the extra long plait hidden.

Once the costume and hair are done, the next step is to don the jewelry. Bharata Natyam uses a special form of jewelry known as “Temple Jewelry” – golden in color with red and green stones, as well as white ones with pearls. You can wear a headset, which is a horizontal and vertical piece covering your parting and hairline. Or, you can opt for a tikli which covers your parting only. On either side, you wear two discs, the sun and the moon. The ears have jhumkas with bands. Around the neck, there is a short necklace and a long one. The waist is cinched with a golden belt of many links and you wear bangles on each hand.

A very important aspect is the anklet bells that you wear while dancing, which can be two strands tied around your leg or a belted ghungroo. I have always worn the belted one, as I used to fear that the string would come undone with the other type, but many dancers wear them. You also wear three nosepins to complete the ensemble. This is the basic costume and jewelry, and you can also add more like armbands, and ornaments on your bun. For the makeup, you have the base, and then carefully draw the eyebrows and eyes to make them look bigger, redden the lips and wear a red bindi with a white line underneath. The final touch is to line your palms and feet with red (alta) dye, but make sure you do this last and take care that your costume is not stained.

The whole process of getting ready can take anything from two to five hours depending on how much you want to wear and how perfect you want to look. My recommendation is always to go for the basic look and hone that to perfection instead of adding too many bells and jingles. 

Some tips for buying the costume and jewelry in Kolkata (the best thing is to shop in Chennai but in case you cannot do that):

• Buy a Dharmabalam saree and then get  the costume made by a special tailor. Your dance teacher should be able to point you to one.

• Jewelry, flowers etc are all available in Lake Market as well as a shop in Treasure Island called Sasaram. Depending on your taste and budget you can opt for either.

•  If you want to buy stage makeup, the place to go is G C Laha in Dharma Tala and some items are also available in New Market.

Once you have everything, get ready and go on stage, as the perfect Bharata Natyam dancer.