The Bharatanatyam Margam: From Alarippu to Thillana
What a Bharatanatyam margam is, the order of items from Alarippu to Thillana and Mangalam, why the varnam is the centrepiece, and how students learn them.
A margam is the traditional order of items in a solo Bharatanatyam recital. It usually runs from Alarippu through Jathiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Padam or Javali and Thillana, ending with a Mangalam. The sequence, systematised by the Tanjore Quartet in the early 19th century, moves from pure rhythm towards expression and back to brisk, intricate footwork.
What does margam mean in Bharatanatyam?
Margam means "path". The word describes a recital that is built like a path, with each item preparing the dancer and the audience for the next. To understand that path you need three terms. Nritta is pure dance: rhythmic movement made of adavus, the basic units of steps and hand positions, with no story. Nritya is expressive dance, where a sung text is interpreted through abhinaya, the art of expression using face, hands and body. Natya is the dramatic element, where the dancer takes on characters.
A margam balances these. It begins with nritta so the body warms up and the rhythm settles, deepens into nritya in the middle, and finishes with a burst of nritta. If you are new to the vocabulary of steps, our guide to adavus explains the building blocks that every item draws on.
The order of items in a traditional margam
Different schools and dancers adjust the programme, but the classical sequence looks like this. Durations vary a great deal with the composition, the tempo and the dancer, so treat them as rough guides.
| Item | Nritta / nritya balance | Typical length | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pushpanjali (optional) | Mostly nritta | A few minutes | An offering of flowers and salutation to the deity, guru, musicians and audience |
| Alarippu | Pure nritta | Short, a few minutes | The body opening up limb by limb: eyes, neck, arms, then full araimandi |
| Jathiswaram | Pure nritta | Short to medium | Clean adavus set to sung swara passages of a raga |
| Shabdam | First nritya item | Medium | Simple storytelling to a sung text, with short rhythmic passages |
| Varnam | Nritta and nritya in balance | The longest, often half an hour or more | Stamina, complex jathis and sustained abhinaya together |
| Padam / Javali | Mostly nritya | Varies with the song | Slow, detailed expression of emotion, usually love or longing |
| Thillana | Mostly nritta | Medium | Fast footwork, sculptural poses and rhythmic brilliance |
| Mangalam | Brief closing | A minute or two | A final benediction and thanks |
Alarippu
The name is usually linked to the idea of a flower opening. Alarippu has no lyrics; it is danced to sollukattu, the spoken rhythmic syllables recited by the nattuvanar, with the mridangam. It starts with tiny movements of the eyes and neck in samapadam, the straight standing position, and gradually involves the arms and legs until the dancer is in araimandi, the half-seated stance. Teachers value it because it exposes posture instantly.
Jathiswaram
Jathiswaram is still pure dance, but now the music is melodic. The vocalist sings swaras (the sol-fa syllables of Carnatic music) in a chosen raga, and the dancer weaves adavu sequences and jathis, rhythmic phrases that end in a cadence, around them. It shows how well the dancer can keep line and tala at changing speeds.
Shabdam
The Shabdam is often the student's first meeting with abhinaya. A sung text, commonly in praise of a deity or patron, is interpreted line by line, with short rhythmic passages in between. The expression is fairly direct, which makes it a sensible bridge into the varnam.
Padam and Javali
After the varnam the tempo drops. A padam is a slow song, very often about a heroine's love for the divine or a beloved, sung in Tamil or Telugu; the Telugu padams of Kshetrayya are among the best known. The dancer may hold one line for minutes, showing it through different shades of feeling. A javali is lighter and quicker, with a more playful, worldly mood. The nine rasas are most fully explored in these items.
Thillana and Mangalam
The Thillana, often compared to the Hindustani tarana, is a joyful finish built on rhythmic syllables, fast footwork and striking poses, closing with a short sung verse. The Mangalam is a brief prayer that ends the recital. Some dancers also include a shlokam or devotional piece near the end.
Why the varnam is the centrepiece
The varnam is the item that teachers, critics and seasoned audiences watch most closely. It is the only item in which nritta and nritya share the stage almost equally. The dancer moves between intricate jathis, recited by the nattuvanar, and sung lines that are interpreted in several ways, each repetition adding another layer of meaning. The second half is usually quicker, with passages of sung swaras danced in fast adavus.
That combination demands a great deal: deep araimandi held for long stretches, precise footwork in more than one speed, and unbroken concentration on abhinaya. A dancer who can carry a varnam has, in effect, shown every skill the margam requires. This is also why the varnam takes the longest to learn. The relationship between dancer, singer and nattuvanar here is close, and our article on music and rhythm in Bharatanatyam explains how the ensemble supports it.
The Tanjore Quartet and the shape of the margam
The order described above is credited to the Tanjore Quartet: the brothers Chinnaiah, Ponnaiah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu, musicians and dance masters at the court of Serfoji II of Thanjavur in the early 19th century. They organised the repertoire of Sadir, the dance that later became known as Bharatanatyam, into a logical sequence and composed many items for it. Many of their varnams and other pieces are still taught and performed.
Their structure has proved durable. Even as the art went through the upheavals described in our history of Bharatanatyam, the basic progression from Alarippu to Thillana survived. Each bani, or stylistic school, interprets the items in its own way. The Pandanallur style, for example, is known for its geometric precision, deep araimandi and restrained, dignified abhinaya.
How students progress through the margam
Students do not learn the margam in one go. Most teachers introduce items in roughly the same order in which they are performed, because each item depends on skills built by the one before. A typical progression looks like this:
- Adavus in three speeds, along with stances and basic hastas (hand gestures).
- Alarippu, the first complete item, often learnt once the adavus are reasonably clean.
- Jathiswaram, which brings in melody and longer rhythmic phrases.
- Shabdam or a simple keerthanam, the first steps in abhinaya.
- Varnam, usually learnt over many months once stamina and expression have matured.
- Padams, javalis and the Thillana, which refine expression and rhythmic speed.
When a guru judges that a student can perform the entire sequence with control and understanding, the student is ready for an arangetram, the solo debut in which the full margam is presented. At Mayura Natyalaya, which teaches the Pandanallur style, the margam is the framework advanced students work towards, and the Advanced and Arangetram preparation level is where the complete repertoire is brought together.
Watching a margam as an audience member
If you are attending a recital, a few habits make it easier to follow:
- Read the programme or listen to the announcements, which usually give the raga, tala and meaning of each item.
- In the nritta items, watch the lines of the arms and the depth of the araimandi rather than trying to follow a story.
- In the varnam and padam, notice how one sung line is shown in different ways.
- Applaud at the end of an item, not in the middle of a passage of abhinaya.
Once you know the shape of the margam, every recital becomes easier to read, and you begin to see how a dancer has paced the evening.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct order of a Bharatanatyam margam?
The traditional order is Alarippu, Jathiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Padam or Javali, Thillana and Mangalam. Many recitals open with a Pushpanjali, and some add a keerthanam or other devotional piece.
Why is the varnam the most important item in Bharatanatyam?
The varnam is the longest item and the only one that gives roughly equal weight to rhythmic dance and expressive storytelling. It tests stamina, footwork, rhythm and abhinaya together, so teachers treat it as the measure of a dancer's training.
Who created the Bharatanatyam margam?
The order of items is credited to the Tanjore Quartet, four brothers named Chinnaiah, Ponnaiah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu, who worked at the court of Serfoji II of Thanjavur in the early 19th century. Many of their compositions are still danced.
How long does a full margam take to perform?
A complete solo margam often runs for a couple of hours, depending on how many items are included and how long the varnam is. Shorter programmes may include only a few items.
