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Khonda Dance

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, Jan 26, 2020.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    “Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.” ~ Rumi

    Dance is imagination brought to life. Dance is prayer and a meditation. Dance is walking through the clouds, flying among the stars, gliding on the moon and experiencing the pure bliss of heaven on earth. Divinity in the purest form is reflected through artistic expression. Our bodies become instruments and we become ministers of music communicating the freedom and liberty of our souls projecting the power of our spiritual selves. Dance allows us to have a direct line of communication to the divinity. Dance provides an internal dialogue that is sacred within our heart, soul and spirit—giving direct line to the source.When dancing, one must have total control over the mind to execute the steps and one must truly listen to what one’s body tells us. Dance allows one to be in the moment.

    It’s well documented that Nataraja or the dancing form of Shiva, represents the source of creation, preservation and dissolution. CERN, a space research agency in Geneva installed Nataraja statue in their premises in 2004. A special plaque next to the Shiva statue at CERN explains the significance of the metaphor of Shiva’s cosmic dance with several quotations from The Tao of Physics. More recently, Fritjof Capra explained that “Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter,” and that “For the modern physicists, then, Shiva’s dance is the dance of subatomic matter.”

    We all know that knowledge could be gained only through four methods namely, a) Agama (traditional teachings), b) Anumana (inference) c) Upamana (comparison) and d) Pratyuksha (direct perception). Divinity can’t be compared or inferred and relying on traditional teachings needs faith and belief and therefore direct perception is considered preferred method for many who pursue experiencing divinity.

    When we begin to develop ourselves in pursuing this world, we have been gifted with the power to create our own operating system through coding our mind with several set of principles, emotions, feelings, experiences, relationships and so on. We never get to know how to directly perceive our being. Our awakened consciousness is the tool for our life to experience freedom and feel joy and begin life’s celebration.

    By combining dynamic meditation, leading-edge hemispheric technology to induce effective brainwave synchronization and spiritual practices that are retooled to create high energy body, mind and spirit, Khonda dance reinvented the oneness of the universe through modern rhythmic dance moves into an ecstatic experience in the 21st century. Hitherto, the human mind compartmentalized entertainment and natural wholeness of the human experience without realizing the oneness of the cocreations. Khonda Dance aims to transform the hedonistic view that society has toward the Electronic Dance Music entertainment industry into an experience with a tremendously positive, transformational impact with real value to the society.

    Can a dance create profound impact in revealing the unity or cosmic oneness? I am sharing a few videos of a Khonda Dance for each one of you to evaluate. Why would we not look at it, if fitness (for the body), entertainment (for the mind), ecstasy (for the heart) and peace (for the spirit) could be achieved through a few dance moves? Kindly pay attention not only to the dance moves but also the rhythm that is played that creates calmness and tranquility while listening.





    One last video I am adding as a bonus which predominantly aimed at developing oneness in Africa which is called Zanku dance and originated in a shrine in Lagos, Nigeria and has become a latest trend in 2019.



    Note: Please try these moves at your own risk and the author doesn’t take responsibility for your internal injuries in your pursuit of ecstasy. Please make sure you have health insurance before attempting this type of ecstasy. I strongly recommend seniors to play this dance in their head through visualization techniques.
     
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  2. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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  3. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    Indians ...have to dance:

     
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  4. sln

    sln Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswa,
    Thanks for introducing me to the Khonda dance and the spirutuality associated with it.Dance is practised as a form of expression,spirituality,healing process,exercise and health,entertainment,celebration,eroticism,community enjoyment etc.Having had the privIlege of working all over India,I had the opportunity to witness many dance programmes.
    Kurai ondru millai Bharatha natyam dance is the essence of spiruality.Warrior dance of Arunachal pradesh is a symbol of courage and fight.This was organised by me in our club.one employee misbehaved with the girls.The group head threatened to send one of the warriors against the troublesome employee.Bamboo dance of Mizoram is one of beauty and coordination.
    For the sheer steps and colour nothing to beat Bangra dance-who can forget"HAAYERE HAYEEYEH MERE HATH MEIN TERE HATH dance by Shammi kapoor and Sharmila Tagore in Kashmir Ki Kali film or can we forget konkani song dance NA MANGOON SONA CHANDI in the film Bobby.
    Coffee ceremony dance in Ethiopia is famous for the speed and steps.Ethiopians easily spend a couple of hours in the coffee ceremony and in one case we witnessed a sixty old lady beating others hollow and outlasting them.
    In our complex a group of ladies started practising Zumba dance for fitness.Within a week one by one dropped out of pain and exhaustion.The trainer -my God- was a symbol of strength and coordinated movements.
    Dance needs Discipline,Devotion,commitment and creativity.When in distress Dance is a stress buster.You must have seen the Alexa ad when the wife in bad mood relaxes with a dance.
    Regards
    SLN.
     
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  5. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Viswa,
    It was a great delight to read about Khonda dance, a form of spirituality.Looks like a treatise on art,science and spirituality in a fine package.
    viswa is Shiva Himself.Nothing to wonder that he has dealt with the subject just as a dancer would present an epic on a stage.
    It is 100% true that dance is described as laya yoga.

    Whenever we start learning music the first instruction is' Shruthi maatha, laya: pitha.
    However the word Tala is stated to have been derived out of Ta-Thandavam of Lord Shiva and Lasya of Parvathi.Quite Interesting.

    The tala system of Carnatic music is unique in the world of music. Just as a raga extols the bhavam of the song, so does the talam, which reveals the mood of the song.

    It is interesting to know how the concept of Tala was developed first.People noted that we wink our eyes in a particular frequency. Crows make cawing sound in a particular rhythm.
    Winking of the eye or cawing of the crow.Ultimately they took the cawing sound crows as the basis for tala and it is taken as 96 per minute. So crow can be treated as 'Tala Guru'.

    Bharatha Natyam is a dance of mind & soul. It is extremely traditional and known for its grace, purity, tenderness, staturesque & sculpturesque poses. It uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness.

    It can be considered as a combination of mythological, historical, cultural and sociological heritage and traditionally passed on to posterity. Dance in any form gives lot of happiness to the performer as well as the audience who enjoy it with involvement.

    “ Natya Sastra “ was written by the sage Bharatha Muni about 2000 years ago. Bharat Natyam incorporates most of the rules specified in the Natya Sastra.

    The general interpretation for the name is
    BHAva(expression) + RAga (music) + TAla(rhythm) + NATYAM(dance) = Bharata Natyam

    The Natya Shastra was written by the sage Bharata or Bharatamuni who was directly inspired by the god Brahma, according to legend. The text is written in the Sanskrit language, and consists of 6,000 sutras, or verse stanzas, incorporated in 36 chapters. This suggests that in traditional Sanskrit drama, music and dancing, as well as acting, were important. The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope. It consists of minutely detailed precepts for both playwrights and actors. Bharata describes ten types of drama ranging from one to ten acts. In addition, he lays down principles for stage design, makeup, costume, dance (various movements and gestures), a theory of aesthetics (rasas and bhavas), acting, directing and music, each in individual chapters. Bharata sets out a detailed theory of drama comparable to the Poems of Aristotle.

    Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda which would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda, Fifth veda, Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken padhya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.

    After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularise this veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.

    There is also another story which says that Goddess Parvathi taught this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.

    As Viswa has explained,in Indian mythology,Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performd by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the destroyer of the universe. The tandava performed with joy is called Ananda Tandava and performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava. The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sometimes erotic also. Some scholars call Lasya as the feminine version of Tandava.
    There are three essential elements of dance Ntitta, Nritya and Natya.

    Nritta is the rhythmic or tala element.It interprets rhythm with the aid of body
    movements.
    Nritya is a combination of Rhythm and Expression called abhinaya.The Sanskrit term 'abhinaya' means to convey or educate.
    Natya is a combination of nritta and nritya.It is actually a visual painting.
    [​IMG]
    The cosmic dance of
    Shiva symbolises the interplay of dynamic and
    static divine energy flow, containing the five
    principles of eternal energy — creation,
    preservation, destruction, illusion and
    emancipation.
    Shiva dances in ‘Rudra Tandava’
    or the dance of destruction in an aureole of
    fire,
    creating wild thunder storms all around the
    universe, even shattering the Sun, the Moon
    and stellar bodies with his matted hair, marks of
    ash on the forehead, trident, drum, lifting his
    left leg and balancing over a demon of
    ignorance, with snakes crawling over his arms,
    legs, and braided hair that depict egotism. His
    upper right hand holds an hourglass drum or
    'dumroo' standing for the male-female vital
    principle, while the lower gestures us to "Be
    fearless". A skull on his head depicts conquest
    over death. Goddess Ganga, epitomising the
    holy river, sits on his hairdo. His third eye
    represents omniscience, insight, and
    enlightenment.
    The ‘Lasya’ or the gentle form of his dance,

    is associated with the creation of the world,
    after its total destruction.
    Shiva’s two different
    cosmic dances take place in one’s own
    ‘Chidambaram’ or in the sky of the mind,
    portrayed as the centre of consciousness
    situated at the altar of one’s heart.


    Shiva is the symbol of ‘Brahmam’, the universal
    consciousness. The cosmic serpent called
    ‘Kundalini’, draped by the Lord of all
    dance
    is mythically present in every living form.
    Arousal of the ‘kundalini’ is a metaphor for the
    awakening of the seven energy centres or
    ‘chakras’ situated in the spine.
    The dancing
    Indian deity, representing the cosmic cycles of
    creation and destruction also depicts the
    dynamics of subatomic particles, the basis of
    creation of the universe that is being
    researched
    by physicists around the world.
    The linkage between
    the ancient Vedic mythology, religious
    symbolism, art and modern physics has been
    commented in the following way.

    “Every subatomic particle not only does an
    energy dance, but is also an energy dance; a

    pulsating process of creation and

    destruction...without end...For the modern

    Physicists, then, Shiva’s dance is the dance of

    subatomic matter.”
    We also form part and parcel of the atomic matter.
    Let us enjoy the physics of dancing atomic particles, chemistry or Bhava of the Abhinaya, the biology of the beautiful limbs and graceful physique of the dancer and
    dance along with them ,perform 'Ananda Tandavam to get the'BLISS' and become one with LAYA YOGA.

    Jayasala42
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @Amulet

    Thank you for sharing information on Indian American dance and its significance. I enjoy the Indian American way of dancing and their spiritual inclination. I remember watching the American children performing Indian American dance and I forgot where to find this video. It was for a song

    "Earth is our mother and we must take care of her ........".
     
  8. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear SLN Sir,

    It is always a pleasure to receive your response. Kurai ondrum Illai song is soul-stirring even if we hear MS Amma singing. Dance expressions must take it to a whole different level. I need to look up Warrior Dance as I have never seen one. I have not seen Bamboo Dance either.

    I have seen plenty of Bangra in movies and attended some Bangra dance programs here in the US as well. I have intensely watched Bobby many times as the dance and song sequences were extraordinary to me as a young adult.
    I watch Zumba dance performed by ladies and it is a lot of work out. I will look out for Coffee ceremony dance in Ethiopia. When wife is in bad mood, the man had to dance because things will be thrown at him.

    Like @Amulet said above, Indian American also use dance and rhythm for their spiritual elevation just like Africans.
     
  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Smt. Jayasala:

    Your response is so informative and I feel your response is more valuable than my original post. I never knew until now that caw sound is used to develop Tala in Carnatic music. I had been to Chidambaram many times and seen "Chidambara Ragasiyam" many times without understanding the significance. Now your words of wisdom helped me understand it is the sky of the mind (Center of Consciousness) where this dance is taking place.

    There are many things when introduced elsewhere in the world, it makes me think that our ancient civilization had already dealt with in some form.

    I will read and reread your response many times and thank you for sharing your insight.
     

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