Shovana Narayan Releases Book on Kathak Karanas at India International Centre
Kathak exponent Dr Shovana Narayan launched her new book, "Speaking Sculptures: Karanas in Kathak," during a cultural event at the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium inside the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi on Saturday, July 25, 2026. Published by Shubhi Publications, the work explores the historical roots and evolution of Kathak through ancient Indian sculptural heritage.
The gathering brought together scholars, cultural administrators, and artists. Key attendees included Dr Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi; Dr Sachchidanand Joshi, Member-Secretary of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA); Dr Bharat Gupt, Vice Chairman of the National School of Drama and Trustee and Executive Member of IGNCA; and Dr Usha M. Munshi, Chief Librarian at the India International Centre. Sanjay Arya, founder of Shubhi Publications, also attended the release alongside cultural figures Sunit Tandon, Sanjoy K. Roy, and Leela Venkataraman.
The proceedings commenced with a rendition and formal presentation of the book, followed by an interactive panel discussion examining the connection between sculptural representations of karanas and contemporary Kathak practice. Speakers discussed how the publication utilizes archaeological findings, textual analysis from the Nāṭyaśāstra, and oral lineages from the guru-śiṣya tradition to challenge existing historical assumptions regarding the origin of Kathak.
Addressing the audience, Dr Shovana Narayan stated, "This work is an attempt to bring together the evidence preserved in sculptures, the descriptions in the Nāṭyaśāstra and the living tradition of Kathak. My hope is that it encourages meaningful dialogue between archaeology, textual studies and performance traditions, allowing these sculptures to continue speaking to contemporary audiences."
"Speaking Sculptures: Karanas in Kathak" analyzes sculptural evidence spanning the Indo-Gangetic and Vindhyan regions from the Indus Valley Civilisation through the Mauryan, Śuṅga, Gupta, and later historical periods up to the seventeenth century. By linking these sculptures with the Nāṭyaśāstra and modern performance traditions, the publication contends that Kathak is a continuous classical dance tradition rather than an art form that originated solely during the medieval period.
The book also documents ancient costume traditions, musical accompaniment, and movement vocabulary based on sculptural depictions, illustrating continuity between ancient visual arts and current Kathak practices.
The event concluded with a live dance demonstration performed by disciples of Dr Shovana Narayan. The dancers brought several karanas to life on stage, incorporating Sanskrit nomenclature into Kathak's rhythmic structures and movement vocabulary to illustrate the theoretical concepts detailed in the book.
