Sri Lankan Ves and the Indian Classical dances

Subashini Pathmanathan

India and Sri Lanka are historically, geographically, culturally, religiously closely linked. The Tamil language is the language in the north and east of Sri Lanka. And the formation of Sinhala letters of Sri Lanka resembles the Letters of Telugu and Kanada languages of India.

Silapathikaram, the Tamil classic describes Santhi koothu which consists of four main Koothuforms namely Chokam, Mei Koothu, Abinaya, and Nadakam. Chokam is the pure Nirtha dance.

The Mei Koothu consists of three main catergories.Desi, Vaduku, and Sinhalam. Desi was a dance form belonging to Tamil country.Vaduku was a dance form belonging toTelugu Desam, and the word Sinhalam, was apparently a reference to a dance form belonging to Singhala country.

Unfortunately apart from the word Sinhala, there is nothing about the dance form in Silapathikaram. The great Tamil poet Maha Kavi Subramaniya Bharathi spoke of constructing a bridge to Sinhala Deepa (Sri Lanka) from India.

Kandyan dance is a very popular dance form among the Sinhalese population of Sri Lanka. The traditional Kandyan dance is a pure Nirtha dance firmly based on Thala, laya and Thandava karna stances, and based on rhythm.

In Sri Lankan the traditional classical dance form is regarded as Kandyan dance.Kandyan dance is the predominant dance in Sri Lanka and also this is the pre dominant dance form among the Sinhalese Population. This dance is still practised in Buddhist temple festivals, (Called preheras) street processions, for public entertainments to welcome the Leaders, visitors, and foreign dignitaries.

Most of the Indian and Sri Lankan classical dance forms are based on Natya Sastra, but these dances developed and were influenced by regional, religious, cultural, and social traditions of each region.

Kandyan dance appears to have grown out and developed out of Natya Sastra, as there are discernible similarities between the classical dance forms of India and Sri Lankan dance forms.

Kandyan dance form was protected and fostered by the Kandyan gentry who managed and maintained the Kandyan dance troupes. There are five important categories in Kandyan dance, Ves Netuma (dance), Naiyandi, Udekki, Pantheru and Vannam. The Ves dance started as a ritual dance form, it is traced back to Kohomba Kankaria.Kohomba Kankaria was a ritual dance form among the Sinhalese population in Sri Lanka. Earlier sixty four ornaments were worn for the Ves dance, but now less than thirty four ornaments are worn. It reveals the rich cultural tradition on which Kandyan dance is based.

Ves dance has close links with Indian Classical dances. The Ves dance form is based on Thandava aspect of Kathakali, Bharatha Natyam and Manipuri.

Today Ves dance is considered and based on religious and social Values. The Ves dancers’ costumes and make up are closely linked to the Indian classical dance form Kathakali. Both these dance forms have strong affinity with Thandava stands, jumps, twists, and beautiful masculine and vigorous stands and vast gaps between the legs.

Both these dance forms adopt circular movements, and the knees are spread out from one another. Both these dance forms adopt the techniques from martial arts .But Ves is totally based on pure Nirtha, but Kathakali is based on Nirtha and Nirthiya.Ves dance is performed at the religious processions, ceremonial occasions, and other social occasions. Kathakali is performed in temples as well as on the stages.

Males are the dominating artistes of these two art forms. Both these dance forms have some close links, yet they have their own individuality and Identity. Kathakali is based on dance drama; to expound the meaning of the story.

The Kathakali dancers use the hand gestures, with different facial expression. Vocal music is the source and sole of Kathakali, and Baratha Natyam, but drum beating is the source and sole of Kandyan Ves dance. The most common drum is Geta Beraya, which is only used in Kandyan dance. The word ‘adavu; is used, in Kandyan dance, which is a pure Nirtha aspect of dance .The word is also used in Bharatha Natyam.

In the Kandyan dance generally the sitting position and stretching the hands at the shoulder level is almost common to Kathakali and Bharatha Natyam. Ves dance is also based on Natya Sastra. Bharatha Natyam which uses twenty eight to thirty single hand muthuras are called Asamutha hastas and twenty three double hand muthuras or joint hand muthuras are called Samutha hastas.

Similarly even Kathakali twenty eight hand muthuras (hastas) are used including joint and single hand movements. In Kandyan Ves dance they do have hastas, nearly about twelve hastas.

In the Ves dance the ears are covered with an ornament Called Todu Patti. These ear ornaments are almost like the Kathakali ear-ornaments. In Kandyan dance the Ves dancers wear chest ornament. It is called Avul Hera. Even in Kathakali the chest is covered by colourful strings of beads.