Bhava
भावSanskritSay it: bhaa · va
- bh, dh, gh… — the consonant with a breath of air after it
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
The emotion the performer holds and conveys.
ConceptBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak
Meaning
Bhava is the emotional state expressed by the artist, as distinct from rasa, the response it produces in the audience. The classical formulation is that bhava, well conveyed, gives rise to rasa.