Nataraja
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Parampara

परम्परा★ Essential
SanskritSay it: pa · ram · pa · raa
  • aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long

An unbroken line of transmission from guru to student.

ConceptBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak

Meaning

Parampara is the succession through which an art is handed down — each generation receiving from its teacher and passing on in turn. In dance it names both the relationship and the lineage itself, and a dancer's place in a parampara is a large part of their artistic identity.

Related words

Know this differently, or know it better? Traditions vary and we would rather be corrected — tell us.

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