India is a country rich with a myriad cross section of cultures. Each culture usually has a dance form attached to it. Once such dance form is Odissi. Odissi is the traditional dance form of the Eastern Indian state, Orissa. Odissi is considered to be one of the oldest surviving dance forms in India and is similar to another Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam as far as gestures and expressions are concerned.

One of Odissi’s most prominent features is the division of the body into three main sections, the head, the bust and the torso. The postures dealing with these three sections are known as “Tribhangi”. More than a form of dance, Odissi is an expression of love, pleasure and passion, both human and divine. Odissi is based on the devotion to the popular Indian God, Lord Krishna and any Odissi dance recital is replete with tales of Lord Krishna.

Odissi is often described to be a soft, smooth and sublime classical dance which usually depicts the ambience of Orissa and narrates tales of Orissa’s primary deity, Lord Jagannatha, supposed to be another avatar of Lord Krishna. Odissi dancers use a smooth, transitional flow of the three main sections, head bust and torso, with vivid facial expressions to express various moods and emotions.

In recent times, vigorous efforts have been made to restore Odissi to its full glory. Some of the greatest exponents of Odissi include greats like Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sonal Mansingh, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Protima Gauri Bedi and Indrani Rehman. These dancers are credited with elevating Odissi to an international stature.