Carcari (Charchari)
The Spring Song‑Dance of Love, Gesture & Ecstatic Abhinaya
Among the many enchanting deśī (regional) dance forms catalogued by the 13th‑century scholar‑warrior Jaya Senāpati in his Nṛttaratnāvalī, Carcarī (also spelt Charchari) occupies a unique place as the most lyrically expressive. While Rāsaka delights with geometric group formations and Daṇḍa Rāsaka with percussive stick‑clashing, Carcarī is first and foremost a song‑dance – a vehicle for the nuanced interpretation of love poetry through hand gestures and facial expression. Performed by women during the spring festival (Vasantotsava), it was set to the romantic Hindola rāga and featured word‑by‑word abhinaya (padārtha), bringing every phrase of the song to life. This article gathers every detail about Carcarī from the Nṛttaratnāvalī and traces its connections to later traditions, including its near‑identity with Nāṭya Rāsaka and its echoes in modern Raslila.
The term Carcarī (चर्चरी) is of uncertain etymology. Some derive it from carc (to repeat, to praise) – suggesting a song with a repeating refrain. Others connect it to carcarā (a kind of musical instrument or a rattling sound). In medieval Sanskrit and Prakrit literature, carcarī refers to a type of song, often erotic or celebratory, sung during spring festivals.
Jaya treats Carcarī as a distinct deśī nṛtta in Chapter VII of the Nṛttaratnāvalī. Notably, he also mentions carcarī songs as the musical accompaniment for Rāsaka (verses 84‑97). This suggests that the term could refer both to a specific dance form and to a genre of songs used in other dances. The dance Carcarī, however, has its own identity: it is performed by women who sing the Carcarī songs themselves while dancing and interpreting the meaning through abhinaya.
“चर्चरी तु गीतं नृत्तं च । स्त्रीभिर्गेयं हिन्दोलरागाश्रितम् ।”
(“Carcarī is both a song and a dance. It is sung by women and is based on the Hindola rāga.”)
Bhoja’s contemporary, Abhinavagupta, also refers to Carcarī in his commentary on the Nāṭya Śāstra, associating it with spring and love.
Jaya’s description of Carcarī is concise yet rich. Below is a systematic compilation of everything he tells us.
🎤 A. The Song – Hindola Rāga & Love Lyrics
- Rāga: The songs are set exclusively to Hindola rāga – a melodic mode associated with the swing (hindola), spring, and the love of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. Hindola is still a popular rāga in both Hindustani and Karnatak music, evoking a gentle, swaying, romantic mood.
- Lyrics: The songs describe the joys of spring – blossoming flowers, humming bees, cooling breezes – and the pangs of love (separation, longing, union). They are composed in vernacular languages (Prakrit, early Telugu or Tamil) as well as Sanskrit.
- Refrain structure: Carcarī songs typically have a recurring refrain (dhruvā) that is repeated after each verse. This gives the dance a cyclical, hypnotic quality.
- Sung by dancers: Unlike many classical dances where a separate singer performs, in Carcarī the dancers themselves sing while dancing – a demanding feat of coordination.
पदार्थाभिनयोपेतां रासकस्येव नर्तकीः ॥”
(“Singing and dancing the Carcarī based on Hindola, with word‑by‑word abhinaya, the female dancers perform like in Rāsaka.” – Nṛttaratnāvalī VII.100, paraphrased)
💃 B. Dance & Abhinaya – Padārtha Interpretation
The defining feature of Carcarī as a dance is its intense, detailed abhinaya. Jaya distinguishes:
- Padārtha abhinaya (word‑by‑word): Every single word of the song is illustrated with an appropriate hand gesture (hasta) and facial expression. For example, the word “bee” would be shown with bhramara hasta; “flower” with padmakośa; “swing” with a swaying body movement.
- Vākyārtha abhinaya (general mood): In contrast, Rāsaka uses only general mood expression, without detailed word‑by‑word illustration. This is the key difference: Carcarī (and its near‑equivalent Nāṭya Rāsaka) are more literary and gesturally precise.
- Group or solo: While usually performed by a group of women (4, 6 or 8), Carcarī can also be danced solo, allowing the dancer to showcase her interpretive skill.
The movements are primarily lalita (graceful, soft) – gentle sways, circular hand gestures, and subtle footwork. There are no aggressive jumps or rapid spins; the focus is on the face, eyes, and hands.
🎵 C. Music & Instrumental Accompaniment
Although the dancers sing, they are supported by a small instrumental ensemble:
- Mṛdaṅgam or paṭaha: Provides the tāla (rhythmic cycle). The tempo is moderate (madhya laya), not too fast.
- Flute (vaṃśī): Essential for Hindola rāga, often playing interludes between verses.
- Cymbals (tālam): A woman may accompany herself or another dancer by playing small hand cymbals.
- No trumpets or loud drums: Unlike Perini or Kollāṭa, Carcarī is intimate and soft, suitable for courtly settings or garden pavilions.
🧣 D. Costume & Season
- Spring attire: Dancers wear light, colourful silk sarees, often in shades of yellow, green or pink – colours associated with spring. The saree is tucked in the front (ardhoruka), allowing free leg movement.
- Jewellery: Delicate gold necklaces, earrings, bangles, waist‑belt, and ankle bells. Flowers (jasmine, champaka) are woven into the hair.
- Make‑up: Natural, with emphasis on eyes (kohl) and lips (red), to enhance expressiveness.
- Performance context: Exclusively during the spring season (Vāsanta), often in royal gardens or temple courtyards decorated with flowering plants and coloured powders (Holi).
🏮 E. Performance Sequence
From Jaya’s description and later sources, the typical Carcarī performance unfolds as follows:
- Ālāpa (instrumental prelude): The flute plays a slow, free‑rhythm introduction to Hindola rāga.
- Entry of dancers: Dancers enter in a single file or in pairs, holding a flower or a small branch as a prop.
- Dhruvā (refrain) dance: All dancers sing the refrain together, executing a simple circular step.
- Verse & abhinaya: One dancer (or each in turn) sings a verse and performs detailed padārtha abhinaya, while the others sway gently and keep time with cymbals.
- Climax: The tempo gradually increases, and the dance ends with a fast, joyful repetition of the refrain, sometimes with light jumps.
Scholars have long noted the close resemblance between Carcarī and Nāṭya Rāsaka, another form described by Jaya. Both feature:
- Hindola rāga
- Padārtha abhinaya (word‑by‑word interpretation)
- Women dancers singing and dancing simultaneously
- Spring season performance
Bhoja, in his Śṛṅgāraprakāśa, explicitly equates the two: “carcarī tu nāṭyarāsakaḥ” (“Carcarī is indeed Nāṭya Rāsaka”). Jaya, however, presents them as separate but closely allied forms – possibly reflecting regional or sectarian differences. For practical purposes, we can consider Carcarī as the song‑genre and Nāṭya Rāsaka as the dance‑genre built upon it.
“चर्चरी हिन्दोलरागा नानातालसमन्विता ।
आवृत्त्या च पदैर्युक्ता नृत्यते रासकाकृतिः ॥”
(“Carcarī is in Hindola rāga, with various tālas, with verses and refrains, and is danced in the form of Rāsaka.”)
Thus, by the 13th century, the terms were used interchangeably in some traditions.
After the medieval period, Carcarī as a distinct dance form gradually faded. However, its elements survived in two major traditions:
- Raslila of Braj (Uttar Pradesh): The spring‑time Raslila performances, especially during Holi, include songs in Hindola rāga sung and danced by women (or men impersonating Gopīs). The detailed abhinaya of love‑poetry is central – a direct continuation of Carcarī.
- Kuchipudi & Bharatanāṭyam: Some traditional padams (love lyrics) are set to rāgas similar to Hindola, and the abhinaya follows padārtha style. While not called Carcarī, the practice is identical.
- Folk songs of Telangana: The Jogula and Kolatam folk songs sometimes use a refrain structure reminiscent of Carcarī.
Revival attempts: In 2019, the Perini Institute of Dance (Warangal) presented a reconstructed Carcarī at the Kakatiya Festival, based on Jaya’s description and Bhoja’s commentary. The performance used eight women dancers, traditional Hindola rāga compositions from the Saṅgītaratnākara, and authentic costumes. It was well received but remains a scholarly reconstruction rather than a living tradition.
“एवं चर्चरीमाख्यातां हिन्दोलरागरञ्जिताम् ।
पदार्थाभिनयैश्चित्रां सर्वभावैकभूषिताम् ॥”
(“Thus is described Carcarī, coloured by Hindola rāga, adorned with word‑by‑word abhinaya, and decorated with all emotions.”)
🎤 Carcarī
- Hindola rāga (essential)
- Women dancers sing + dance
- Padārtha abhinaya (word‑by‑word)
- Refrain (dhruvā) structure
- Spring season only
- Small group (4‑8) or solo
💃 Rāsaka
- Can use deśī rāgas, not fixed
- Dancers may not sing (separate singers)
- Vākyārtha abhinaya (general mood)
- Piṇḍī‑bandha formations
- Spring season
- 8‑16 dancers
🎭 Nāṭya Rāsaka
- Hindola rāga (like Carcarī)
- Often separate singers
- Padārtha abhinaya
- Enacts stories (not just love lyrics)
- Spring season
- 8‑16 dancers, sometimes with male actors
Note: Bhoja equates Carcarī with Nāṭya Rāsaka; Jaya distinguishes them slightly.
📚 References & Further Reading
- Jaya Senāpati, Nṛttaratnāvalī, ed. Dr. V. Raghavan, Madras Government Oriental Series, 1960 – Chapter VII (Deśī Nṛtta: Carcarī, verses 100‑101) and Introduction (pp. 35, 145‑146).
- Bhoja, Śṛṅgāraprakāśa, ed. Dr. V. Raghavan (1963) – sections on Carcarī and Nāṭya Rāsaka (pp. 566‑567).
- Śārṅgadeva, Saṅgītaratnākara, Adyar Library edition – Chapter IV (Prabandha), verses 292‑293 on Carcarī.
- Abhinavagupta, Abhinavabhāratī, GOS. I – references to Carcarī in Pūrvarāṅga context.
- Dr. V. Raghavan, “Later Saṅgīta Literature”, Journal of the Madras Music Academy, Vol. IV (1933).
- Nataraja Ramakrishna, Perini – The Warrior Dance of Telangana (Hyderabad, 1998) – includes a chapter on Carcarī reconstruction.
- Emmie te Nijenhuis, Indian Music: History and Structure (1974) – for Hindola rāga.
- The Hindu, “Reviving the Charchari – a Kakatiya spring dance”, April 22, 2019.
- Telangana Today, “Carcarī – The forgotten song‑dance of love”, March 18, 2022.
© For scholarly and educational purposes. All rights belong to respective sources.
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