What is the Margam?
Margam means 'the path'. It is the traditional sequence of items that structures a full Bharatanatyam recital, designed as a journey that gradually deepens from pure rhythm into rich expression and back again. The classical Margam was shaped in the nineteenth century by the Tanjore Quartet — four brothers who organised the repertoire into the form still followed today.
The Opening — Alarippu & Jatiswaram
A recital traditionally opens with the Alarippu, a short invocatory piece of pure Nritta that 'blossoms' the dancer's body, salutes the divine, the guru, and the audience. It is followed by the Jatiswaram, a slightly longer pure-dance composition set to a melodic scale (swaras) with no words — a celebration of rhythm and line.
The Centrepiece — Shabdam & Varnam
The Shabdam introduces expression and words, often in praise of a god or king. Then comes the Varnam — the heart and longest item of the Margam, demanding both stamina and depth. It interweaves intricate pure-dance passages with elaborate Abhinaya, allowing the dancer to display the full range of technique and storytelling. A good Varnam can last half an hour and is considered the true test of a dancer.
The Expressive Heart & Finale — Padam, Javali & Tillana
After the Varnam come the Padams and Javalis — lyrical, slower pieces of pure Abhinaya exploring love and devotion in great emotional detail. The recital then ends with the Tillana, a sparkling, fast, pure-rhythm piece full of sculptural poses, and finally a Mangalam or Shlokam — a closing benediction of gratitude and peace.
Music, Costume & Bells
Bharatanatyam is accompanied by a Carnatic music ensemble: a vocalist, the mridangam (drum), the violin or veena, the flute, and the nattuvangam (cymbals played by the conducting guru). The dancer wears a brilliantly coloured stitched silk costume with a pleated fan that opens during Aramandi, temple jewellery, and Salangai — rows of bells tied at the ankles that musicalise every footstep, much like the ghungroos of North Indian dance.