THE BANARAS GHARANA OF KATHAK DANCE: A STUDY FROM THE PAST TO PRESENT

Abstract

The word “gharana” is related to that particular art, which is passed down from generation to generation. In simple words, a gharana means a “house” in which every member living follows his ancestors. In the field of music, the names of many famous gharanas are derived; each gharaana represents its own different artistic structure or style. If seen in the history of the music world, the gharanas were born when one artist practiced his art until his presentation did not seem to be different from other artists and then he passed this legacy to his next generation; in this way, from one generation to another, this form of art flowed, which gave birth to the Gharana.Mainly in the field of Kathak dance, the names of three gharanas are found: Lucknow Gharana, Banaras Gharana, and Jaipur Gharana. These gharanas seem to be different from each other on the basis of their specific artistic talents. Banaras Gharana is famous for its strong movement and devotional presentation. Janaki Prasad and Sukhdev Maharaj are considered to be the two founders of Banaras Gharana. Janaki Prasad was born in Rajasthan, but he made Banaras his workplace. On the other hand, Sukhdev Maharaj was born in Banaras, but He rendered his musical services in the court of the King of Nepal, after which his children stayed in Banaras and strengthened the Banaras Gharana. Presently, all the artists representing the Banaras Gharana are related to this lineage.The presented research article describes the genealogy of past and present artists of Banaras Gharana of Kathak and their contribution to Kathak dance.