The term, fractal, coined by Benoit B. Mandelbrot describes a shape or pattern within a greater pattern of which it is a scaling piece identical to the greater pattern and in which are reproduced an infinite number of parts or fragments which are also identical to it, thus, identical to the whole at all scales. In this paper, the author describes Hindu cosmology as it is replicated in the elements of the Bharata Natyam, drawing the analogy to fractal patterning.
The oldest sacred dance of India, Bharata Natyam, is not only a concise, living and liveable representative of Hinduism, but a holographic snapshot of all the most revered ideals in Hindu culture. The objectives of this paper are to describe the art of Bharata Natyam and show how it is a many layered, experiential “road map” to a greater experience or perception of reality as prescribed by Hindu theological principles. This will be done by describing the source tenets of Hinduism and by describing their symbolic reflection in Bharata Natyam, its design ornamentation, and in the basic aesthetic ideals of Hindu culture in general.
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