(1) 'Kuchipudi' is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originated in a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance art, with its roots in the ancient Sanskrit Hindu text of Natya Shastra. It developed as a religious art linked to travelling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India.