The Harivamsha describes Krishna as a presiding deity of the Chalikya Gandharva style of dramatic representation.
While Ras is Krishna theatre on the folk level, Chalikya Gandharva is its sophisticated, elite version. Ras is associated with the cowherd settlements in the Vrindavana forests, while Chalikya Gandharva was the elegant theatrical form of the royal Vrishni court of Dwaraka.
The former was danced by the simple Gopa girls and the latter by the dancers at the royal court. However, both were manifestations of the same Krishna theatre. The eighty-ninth chapter of Harivamsha describes how Hallisaka is performed in the Chalikya style.
This will help us in understanding the elite aspect of the Krishna theatre. First, a dancer, beautifully attired, enters the stage and scatters the flowers in her hand. If she happens to sing a benedictory verse delineated by gestures, the orchestra remains silent.
The song sequence was a contribution of Rambha who is aptly described in the context as Sabhinayarthaаtajnya, skilled in translating the meaning of the song through gestures and acting. Then enters the group of dancers who perform various dance formations known as pindibandhas.
In gulma they dance collectively, in srinkhala they hold hands and form a chain, in latabandha arms are put around each other's waists to form a creeperlike spectacle and ultimately they individually exhibit their skill which is called bhedyaka.
These skillful patterns were supposedly executed by Urvashi, Hema, Misrakeshi, Tilottama, Menaka and other Apsaras.
Which of the following statements describe Chalikya?
