A karana is a fundamental unit of dance defined in Chapter 4 of the Natyashastra. It is a specific combination of hand gesture, foot position, and body posture that forms the building blocks of classical Indian dance.

Bharata Muni describes 108 karanas, each with a distinct name and configuration of limbs. Together, they provide the complete vocabulary of movement in classical performance.

The tool helps performers, students, and researchers identify individual karanas by their physical characteristics, making it easier to recognise, learn, and apply them in choreography or academic study.

Yes. Karanas are foundational to Bharatanatyam and other classical forms. Their continued presence in training and choreography reflects the lasting authority of the Natyashastra on living dance traditions.

An angahara is a sequence of multiple karanas combined in performance. Karanas are the individual units; angaharas are the composed phrases, similar to how letters form words in language.