ITEMS OF A MARGAM - VARNAM

4. VARNAM : IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM IN BHARATNATYAM. IT TESTS THE SKILL OF A DANCER. VARNAM LITERALLY MEANS COLOUR. IT IS A JOYOUS COMBINATION OF ALL THE THREE COMPONENTS OF DANCE NAMELY NRITTA, NRITYA AND NATYA. VARNAM IS DEDICATED TO EITHER GODS OR KINGS. IN THIS, IMPORTANCE IS GIVEN TO SRINGARA RASA. A VERSATILE DANCER'S FAVOURITE DANCE IS VARNAM. WITH PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE VARNAM GIVES BRIGHTER COLOURS. VARNAM IS BASICALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS. FIRST DEALS WITH PALLAVI, ANUPALLAVI, CHITTASWARAM AND SAHITYAM BASED ON SWARAMS. THE SECOND PART DEALS WITH CHARANAM AND THREE SWARAMS AND SAHITYAM BASED ON THESE SWARAMS. THE BEGINNING OF VARNAM IS WITH MUKKAL TIRUMAANAM AND THEIR ABHINAYA IS BASED ON THE SAHITYAM. WHENEVER THERE IS TIRUMAANAM OR SWARAM, THERE IS NRITTA, AND WHENEVER THERE IS TIRUMAANAM THERE IS PADAM THERE IS NRITYA.  THEME OF A VARNAM IS  USUALLY VIRAHA , WHEREIN THE NAYIKA IS WAITING FOR THE BELOVED. PHILOSOPHICALLY IT IS THE LONGING OF THE JEEVATMA TO MEET THE PARAMATMA. IN VARNAM ONE SEES TALASANCHARI, BHAVASANCHARI AND RAGASANCHARI. IN OLDEN TIMES VARNAMS WERE DANCED FOR ONE AND HALF HOURS TO TWO HOURS BUT NOW IT IS REDUCED TO 25-30 MINUTES. VARNAM IS A CONTINUUM WHICH GIVES EVER EXPANDING ROOM TO THE DANCER TO DELIGHT IN HER SELF FULFILLMENT.