15 Facts About Sattriya

Sattriya, or Sattriya Nritya, is a major Indian classical dance.

One-act plays of Sattriya are called Ankiya Nat, which combine the aesthetic and the religious through a ballad, dance and drama.

Sattriya is a classical dance of India, tracing its roots to ancient drama and music texts of India, particularly Bharata Muni's Natya Sastra.

Since the 15th century, the Sattriya art grew as part of the Vaishnava bhakti movement, in Hindu monasteries called Sattra.

Sattriya repertoire includes nritta (pure dance, solo), nritya (expressive dance, solo), and natya (dramatic play, group).

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Sattriya Nritya is a genre of dance drama that tells mythical and religious stories through hand and face expressions.

The basic dance unit and exercise of a Sattriya is called a Mati Akhara, equal 64 just like in Natya Shastra, are the foundational sets dancers learn during their training.

Traditionally, Sattriya was performed only by bhokots in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to mark special festivals.

Today, in addition to this practice, Sattriya is performed on stage by men and women who are not members of the sattras, on themes that go beyond the mythological.

Costume of Sattriya dance is primarily of two types: the male costume comprising the dhoti, chadar and the paguri and the female costume comprising the ghuri, chadar and kanchi (waist cloth).

Facial makeup of Sattriya dance resembles other classical dance forms of India.

Sattriya Nritya is accompanied by musical compositions called bargeets which are based on classical ragas.

The special shape and materials of construction – clay, wood, leather, rice dough, iron filings, rope straps – of Sattriya khol produces a high pitch with the right side, while producing a deep bass sound on the left (Bewa).

Sattriya performance comes in many styles such as the Sutradhara, character specific Bhangi, Prabesh, Nritya and Jhumura.

Character specific different styles of Sattriya have their own costume variations, and focus on the various life stages and activities of Radha, Krishna and the gopis.