Mangalacharan
मङ्गलाचरणSanskritSay it: maṅ · ga · laa · cha · ra · ṇa
- ṇ — n with the tongue tip curled back
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
The invocatory opening of an Odissi recital.
RepertoireOdissi
Meaning
Mangalacharan begins an Odissi performance. The dancer enters with flowers, offers them to the earth in bhumi pranam, salutes the deity, the guru and the audience, and asks for blessings before the recital proper begins.