সারঙ্গধর জিউ আখড়ায় প্রাপ্ত ‘নর্তেশ্বর’ ভাস্কর্যে বাংলার শাস্ত্রীয় নৃত্যের স্বরূপ সন্ধান
এগনেস র‌্যাচেল প্যারিস
সহকারী অধ্যাপক, নৃত্যকলা বিভাগ, ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59815/isp.vol4303

Abstract: Sculpture and dance are complementary to each other. For ages, man has practiced song, music, and dance as an integral part of society. In various art forms, the deity of dance is represented as ‘Nataraja’ or ‘Nateshwara’ (the Lord of Dance). During the Chola dynasty in South India, the ‘Nataraja’ sculpture was established, which is now universally recognized as the deity of the South Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam. Almost at the same period as the Chola kings, the ‘Narteshwar’ or ‘Nateshwara’ sculpture emerged in Bengal during the Pala dynasty, proving the Bengali people's devotion to dance. However, while other classical dances of the Indian subcontinent gained recognition over time, Bengal remained silent, and as a result, the ‘Narteshwara’ sculpture remained behind the scenes in the world of dance. Starting from Nalinikanta Bhattasali to the contemporary researcher Anna Slakza, extensive research has been conducted on ‘Narteshwara.’ This paper attempts to discuss the significance and the true nature of the elements of ‘Gaudiya Nritya’ (the classical dance of Bengal) through the study of the ‘Narteshwara’ sculpture, which is dated back to the Pala-Sena period, and which is found to still be worshipped at the ‘Shree Shree Sarangadhar Jiu Akhra.’

Key Words: Nateshwara, Nataraja, Gaudiya Nritya, Pala-Sena period, Chola dynasty.