It is the classical dance form that originated in the ambience of the temples. It is a lyrical form of dance, with subtlety as its key note. The intimate relationship between oddisi poetry and music is a feature on which the aesthetics of its dance style is built. It is often referred to as a “sculturesque’ style of dance with a distinct harmony of line and movement. The history of oddisi dance dates to somewhere between 8th and the 11th century, when the kings took great pride in excelling at the arts of dance and music. It is during these centuries that inscriptions referring to devdasis, women who consociated for the worship of the deity, were carved at the temple.
