Like many other classical arts in India, Bharatanatyam, too, is deeply steeped in devotion. The performance itself is considered to be an act of worship. The dance is originally conceived to spiritually elevate the spectators. Anita Ratnam, the famous Bharatanatyam artist, is seen performing the ‘Sindhooraruna’ composition, from the book Lalita Sahasra Namam, an anthology of verses in praise of goddess.

Bharatanatyam, the age-old classical dance of Tamil Nadu is one of the oldest dance forms of India itself. The art form has its roots in Natya Sastra, the classical treatise on Indian dance by Sage Bharata and it has undergone many modifications and developments since then. The dance is full of unfettered rhythmic movements and expressions, which is devotional in spirit, highly stylized and sophisticated in its technique.