KATHAK

The Vaishnavite cult which swept Northern India in the 15th century and the resultant Bhakti Movement contributed to a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms.The Radha-Krishna theme proved immensely popular along with the works of Mirabai ,Surdas,Nandadas and Krishnadas.The emergence of Rasalila , mainly in the Braj region { Mathura in western U.P.}was an important development.There are three major gharanas { schools } of KATHAK from which performers today generally draw their lineage : The gharanas of JAIPUR ,LUCKNOW and BANARAS.There is also a less prominent RAIGARH GHARANA which is an amalgamation of all the three preceding gharanas , still became famous for its own distinctive style.