A temple sculpture may appear frozen in time, its limbs poised in intricate arrangements. But what if these figures were never meant to be seen as static poses? For Guru Vanitha Haribabu, founder and director of Javani Spiritual Hub, these sculptures preserve a vocabulary of movement that connects India’s temple heritage with its classical dance traditions. Through an upcoming Natyasastra × Silpasastra workshop, she hopes to help participants rediscover how the body, movement and artistic expression are intertwined in ancient Indian knowledge systems.
“We are Kuchipudi practitioners, and these nine art forms of India are derived from the subject of Natyasastra. We want to teach people the derivation of Natyam, its movements and body conditioning,” she says.
At the heart of the workshop are the Karanas, movement units described in the Natyasastra and represented in temple sculptures. Vanitha explains that these carvings are not merely frozen postures but expressions of movement. Inspired by the research of Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, she and her team have been exploring temples such as Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu and Hampi to understand the movement traditions preserved in their sculptures.
“Each and every sculpture we see in a temple is not simply a pose. It is a movement. The very name Karana refers to movement,” she says, describing these principles as the foundation of India’s dance traditions.
The workshop is designed primarily for adults and older participants interested in body awareness, alignment, mobility and traditional movement practices. While learning Karanas requires prior grounding in an Indian art form, beginners can explore the body-conditioning exercises that precede them.
These include movements involving the eyes, face, head, neck, torso, thighs and arms, drawing on traditional concepts such as Drishti Bheda, Shiro Bheda and Griva Bheda.
“We will teach them the body conditioning that comes before learning Karanas. There are different movements for the face, eyelids, lips and chin, as well as the neck, head, abdomen, thighs and arms. These help loosen the muscles and condition the body,” Vanitha explains.
She sees this approach as an opportunity to understand movement beyond simply holding a posture. “It is like yoga with movement. To come into one single posture, the body has to go through several movements. We want people to understand that process,” she says.
Vanitha believes that the emphasis on fundamentals is often lost in the rush to learn choreography and perform on stage. “Nowadays, everyone is in a hurry to learn a song and perform. Nobody wants to spend time on the basics, but they are very important. Once you understand them, you can learn movements much faster,” she says.
Another objective is to encourage adults who have always wanted to dance but never received formal training in childhood. Vanitha hopes the workshop will help them overcome their hesitation and become more comfortable with their bodies.
“By the time we reach 30, we sometimes feel we have become old and cannot do anything. If you have an interest in Natyam but could not learn it in childhood, this is for you. When you understand how your body should move, you begin to feel freer to dance,” she says.
The idea is not to restrict participants to a particular dance form. Instead, understanding the fundamentals can help them discover their own movement vocabulary and approach different styles with greater confidence.
Vanitha’s vision for Javani Spiritual Hub extends beyond dance training. She wants the space to introduce people from different backgrounds and faiths to India’s artistic and cultural heritage through temple sculptures and traditional knowledge.
“We are not forcing any religion. We want to show the beauty of Indian culture and heritage. This place is not only for dancers; it is for people who want to understand our Indian culture,” she says.
Through the workshop, Vanitha hopes participants will look at temple sculptures differently and recognise the movement principles embedded in them. For her, reconnecting with these traditions is also about making ancient knowledge accessible, helping people understand their bodies while discovering the cultural ideas that continue to shape Indian artistic expression.