ABSTRACT
India displays a multi-colored tapestry of art forms and aesthetic traditions that have been knit together over the centuries. The classical Sanskrit aesthetic theories that are based on the idea of rasa are essentially rooted in an affective model of art that is receiver-oriented. Indian aesthetics is, in essence, a "dramatic" criticism of multiple "transformations". The classical Sanskrit aesthetic theories that are based on the idea of rasa are essentially rooted in an affective model of art that is receiver-oriented. According to the Natya Sastra, when the rasa essence is experienced in art, these emotions (bhava) are universalized (depersonalized), as the personal psychological mode is transcended in the aesthetic experience. An important contribution to rasa aesthetics emerged from the widespread impact of the bhakti (devotional) tradition, which had significant philosophical, social, religious, literary and aesthetic implications. Rasa as a theoretical system and in a practitioner's context is a relevant concept in Indian performing arts today.
