What are Mudras?
Mudras (or Hastas) are the physical hand gestures that are executed in Indian Theatre dance-dramas. They are meant to be accompanied by facial expressions and specific movements in order to perform.
"Both mudra and hasta refer to the twenty-four root gestures performed with a single hand (asamyukta), combined hands (samyukta), or mixed hands (misra). Meanings are only created when the actor uses the basic alphabet to 'speak with his hands' in a dramatic context." (Zarrilli 73-76)
"The Hastas, popularly called mudras, make an elaborate gesture language and are of different kinds. Some are symbols standing for gods and individual characters, others are conventional signs for auxiliary words of the syntax. The greatest part however are descriptive or imitative signs for things and ideas, born of instinctive movements." (Boner 64)
"Both mudra and hasta refer to the twenty-four root gestures performed with a single hand (asamyukta), combined hands (samyukta), or mixed hands (misra). Meanings are only created when the actor uses the basic alphabet to 'speak with his hands' in a dramatic context." (Zarrilli 73-76)
"The Hastas, popularly called mudras, make an elaborate gesture language and are of different kinds. Some are symbols standing for gods and individual characters, others are conventional signs for auxiliary words of the syntax. The greatest part however are descriptive or imitative signs for things and ideas, born of instinctive movements." (Boner 64)
What do the Mudras look like?
Please check out the video below.