bhawai dance history, origination?

Question

the folk dance from rajasthan and gujrat province of india. Its also called as Mangal Kalash Nritya. The artist performing balance several pots on their head while balancing on glass, brass or nails.

Answer 1

Bhawai dance?
Sounds unreal, yet it is as you say, a dance on glass with pots on the dancer's head.

The origin may be found in mythological times. The web site http://www.tamilstar.com/dance/history/ gives some hints and names an ancient text book:

"It all started with the Natya Shastra
Said to be written 2000 years ago by Bharata Muni, it is the seminal source book for dancers and performers. The mammoth book covers all technical and aesthetic aspects of the art of Indian Theatre and Dance.

… 37 chapters that together form the nucleus of this fascinating performing art. ...
Legend has it that the Gods had vanquished the Asuras (Evil) and were relating happenings to Brahma, the God of Creation. The Asuras thought this was a renewed attack. And retaliated. Brahma intervened ...
And Brahma passed on all the information on Dance and Drama to Bharata Muni who compiled it as the Natya Shastra."

May be you find a translation of this book to learn more.

Web sites on the topic:

1) Bharata Natya Shastra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Bharata Natya Shastra or Bharata Nātyaśāstra is the principal work of dramatic theory ... This Natya Shastra was written by the sage Bharata Muni who, ...
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natya_Shastra

2) Natya Shastra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaNatya Shastra is a Sanskrit phrase which can be loosely translated as the Sacred ... This term is today commonly associated with Natya Shastra written by a ...
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natya

3) Indian Performing Arts Music and Dance: The Natya Shastra, is a Sanskrit book that was written ... The traditional account in Natya Shastra gives a divine origin to Indian Theatre ...
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/performing_arts.htm

4) Musical Nirvana - Introduction to Indian Classical MusicThe term Raaga is first found in Natya Shastra, meaning not scale but tonal ... NatyaShastra also mentions several musical instruments and the way they ...
http://www.musicalnirvana.com/introduction/ancient_history3.html

5) Reference.com/Encyclopedia/Natya ShastraReference.com free online encyclopedia article for Natya Shastra, powered by Wikipedia.
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Natya_Shastra

6) Natya Shastra (Natyashatra or Natyasastra) Ancient Indian Text on ...This page is about the ancient indian text on stagecraft called the Natya Shastra.
http://www.chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/natyashastra.html

7) Classical Dances of IndiaThe art of dance was created by Lord Brahma (the Creator), according to the Natya Shastra and Abhinaya Darpana, the treatises on dance. The Natya Shastra is ...
http://www.dollsofindia.com/classicaldances.htm

8) Bharata Natyam MudrasThe Natya Shastra lists the following mudras, along with their most prominent ... The Natya Shastra is a medieval dance text believed to possibly be written ...
http://www.pir.net/~beth/Dance/mudras.html

http://www.barnesandnoble.com or http://www.amazon.com may have more info in some books, for example at Amazon:

"Culture Shock! India: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Gitanjali Kolanad (Paperback - Jan 1, 2006)

Buy new: $15.95 $10.85 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
Excerpt - page 218: "... the science of theatre, the Natya Shastra ..."
See more references to Natya Shastra in this book."

My understanding is that the number of pots may refer to holy energy fields of ours (the numbers of holy fields addressed may change from culture to culture: 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, yet there are no more main holy energy fields than 13 - Dr. Bara H. Loveland) - that dancing on hurtful materials requires a great deal of spiritual discipline like yogis have, and that the movement and gestures are holy, stimulating our divine energy fields.

Hope you have a chance to see the dance!
Cordially, India.Magica

Answer 2

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