Mudra
मुद्राSanskritSay it: mu · draa
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
A hand gesture that carries meaning.
MudraBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak
Meaning
Mudras, also called hastas, are codified hand gestures forming the vocabulary through which a dancer speaks. The Abhinaya Darpana describes twenty-eight single-hand (asamyuta) and twenty-four joined-hand (samyuta) gestures. A single gesture has many meanings depending on placement and context: pataka can be a flag, a forest, a river or a blessing.
Also written: hasta, hastas, mudras