Question

Explain the origin of Kathak.

Answer 1

Instructions:

• Explain the origin by relating it to the cast of storytellers and the Bhakti movement.

Solution:

Kathak is performed in different regions of India. The word ‘Kathak’ is derived from a Sanskrit word ‘Katha’(story).

Kathaks were originally a cast of storytellers in temples of North India. They used to narrate stories with songs and gestures.

Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth century with the spread of the Bhakti movement. During this period, folk plays called Rasa Leela combined with the moves of kathak storytellers.