The origins of the Kathakali come from Kerala, one of the smallest states of the Indian Union. The national Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on nine Indian dance styles: Bharatanatyam ( Tamil Nadu), Gaudiya Nritya ( Bengal), Kathak ( North India), Kathakali ( Kerala), Kuchipudi ( Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri ( Manipur), Mohiniyattam ( Kerala), Odissi ( Orissa), and Sattriya ( Assam). Many other Indian classical dances are used to illustrate events from the Puranas related to or describing Vishnu. The dance style performed by Sri Krishna (an Avatar of Vishnu) and the gopis in Vrindavan is called Rasa-Lila, and is considered as a form of devotional dance. Those who worship Vishnu are considered Vaishnavas. Acting or natya is a broad concept which encompasses both drama and dance. However, for practical purposes, whatever his real name might have been, the saga of the Natya Shastra is called Bharata". On the other hand 'Bharata' is also a name, and so it is possible that the title means 'A Shastra on Drama by Bharata'.
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'Bharata' originally meant a dancer-actor so that the title could mean simply 'A Shastra on Drama for the Dancer-Actor'. The book has been variously dated from the 2nd century B.C to the 3rd century A.D, but there is even less certainty about the author. The criteria for being considered as classical is the style's adherence to the guidelines laid down in Natyashastra by the sage Bharata Muni, which explains the Indian art of acting."The date and authorship of the Bharata Natya Shastra are both in dispute. Each form represents the culture and ethos of a particular region or a group of people.