Language is the most commonly used means of communication. Most of our interactions take place through verbal communication either spoken or written. But nonverbal communication plays a very vital role in our life. With the publication of the book named The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin in 1872 , the interest in the studies of nonverbal communication gained ground. Charles Darwin propounded the evolutionary theory of nonverbal communication. He observed that animals communicate through gestures and some bodily signs. The same is applicable to humans also.

 

According to Charles Darwin nonverbal exchange of messages conveys emotions more forcefully than verbal ones. Psychological research has found that nonverbal communication is more realistic and genuine. It is the external evidence of internal states of the mind. Some psychologists have opined that using nonverbal ways of communication expresses one’s true personality and attitudes. Evolution and culture play a great role in shaping different kinds of nonverbal communications. Some of the important and common nonverbal modes of communication are eye contact, body language, maintaining distance,touch, tone and pitch of voice, physical appearance, postures, gestures, facial expressions, use of objects, etc. The study of nonverbal communication has been the interdisciplinary work of psychology, anthropology and biology. In the Indian traditions the sage Bharat was the first person to enlist different nonverbal ways of communication in drama and dance.

 

The world famous treatise of dramaturgy namely Natyashastra by Bharat is full of descriptions of non verbal communication in the performative arts like dance and dramas. The sage Bharata belongs to the second century BC.Even before Bharat we find mention of nonverbal ways of communication in different disciplines of Indian knowledge. The long and rich traditions of Sanskrit literature and poetics are abundant in the repository of nonverbal communication. The sage Bharat has described numerous gestures with meaning. The Rasa theory of Sanskrit poetics depicts the nonverbal communication channels in a very comprehensive way. The word Rasa in Sanskrit means different sentiments. There is a very methodical and analytic description of the gestures and body languages associated with different sentiments. The sage Bharata has described four types of communication- Angika - bodily. Vachika - verbal, Sattvika - mental and emotional state and aharya - through dress and costumes. The sage Bharata has described the use of hands and limbs to express different sentiments.

 

There is a very elaborate elucidation of movements in the Natyashastra of the sage Bharata and each movement conveys a particular meaning. The folk dances prevalent in different parts of India are one of the best examples of nonverbal communicative arts. Similarly, the classical dances of India are far sophisticated in the articulation of gestures and bodily movements. There is no use of words in these dance forms. The performance is mainly based upon eye movements and different gestures. The main classical dances , Bharatanatyam, Kathaka, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, etc, are the best illustrations of nonverbal communication. Thus, the traditions of the study and research on nonverbal communication in India date back to the hoary past.