Bharatanatyam, also previously called Sadhir Attam, is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dance traditions in India. It has been nurtured in the temples and courts of southern India since the ancient era. It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
