The Art of Living has entered the Guinness Book of Records for a Mohiniyattam dance organised in Cochin last year - that saw 1,200 female dancers perform together.The performance has been awarded the world record for the most people performing a Mohiniyattam dance, the traditional Kerala dance form, an Art of Living statement said Monday.
The citation issued by Guinness states: "The current record for Most People Performing a Mohiniyattam Dance is 1,200 at a performance held as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Art of Living Foundation at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Cochin, Kerala, on Nov 28, 2006."
Performing together for the first time, the dancers enchanted a gathering of over 100,000 people with their depiction of feminine moods and emotions.
What is Mohiniyattam Dance ?
Mohiniyattam (also spelled as mohiniaattam, mohiniattom or mohiniyattam; Malayalam: is a traditional South Indian dance form from Kerala, India. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress".
There are two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi or Ocean of Milk. In the second story Vishnu appears as Mohini to save Lord Shiva from the demon Bhasmasura. The name Mohiniaattam may have been coined after Lord Vishnu, and the main theme of the dance is love and devotion to God, with usually Vishnu or Krishna being the hero. Devadasis used to perform this in temples. But it also has elements of Koothu and Kottiyattom in it. it is a drama in dance and verse.
There are two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi or Ocean of Milk. In the second story Vishnu appears as Mohini to save Lord Shiva from the demon Bhasmasura. The name Mohiniaattam may have been coined after Lord Vishnu, and the main theme of the dance is love and devotion to God, with usually Vishnu or Krishna being the hero. Devadasis used to perform this in temples. But it also has elements of Koothu and Kottiyattom in it. it is a drama in dance and verse.