Instead of her young handsome bridegroom, she saw an ascetic, dressed in the ochre robes of hermit. Siddhappa now remembered his promise and rose above all temptations of sensuality. Now before his eyes, appeared Lord Krishna and Sathyabhama. From that movement on, he saw in all women, including his wife, the image of Sathyabhama who lover her Lord passionately and possessively claiming him exclusively for herself and refusing him to share him even with his Pattamahisihi Rukmini. “Satya” in the “Truth” for the realization of whichever seer and saint had been meditation, from time immemorial.
Thus Siddhappa, released from his family ties, came to be known as Siddhappa or Siddhendra Yogi. He began to propagate the Bhama cult, also known as Madhura Bhakti, like Satyabhama, every devotee imaginesLord Krishna to be the Supreme Lover, the Lokabharata, and himself to be cast in the image of Satyabhama, longing to unite with Sri Krishna and keep him entirely to herself. Song after song poured out of the heart, at the separation from her divine lover, into these inspired works. The songs compiled together became the vehicle of a dance drama of unsurpassed beauty and came to be called BHAMAKALAPAM.
The Bhamakalapam songs were so enchanting and so full of rich imager that the temple dancers and court dancers residing at Srikakulam and Ghantasala were eager to learn them and dance to their tunes and lines. But Siddhendra Yogi feared that, since the theme centered to the romantic love between Sri krishna and Satyabhama and since the dancers already excelled in the art of portraying the SRINGARA rasa or romantic love, they may exaggerate the sentiments and destroy its lofty spiritual ethos. Naturally he decided to initiate only young and good-looking Brahmin boys into the art. He taught them the Bhamakalapam Song. He overcame the objections of their families to this unprecedented step by assuring them of salvation- an assurance that was further strengthened by a letter from the head of the math of Udipi offering them his patronage. He made these few families take a vow that at least one male child born into each one of them would devote the entire life time to singing and dancing the glory of the lord. Bell tied around the waist of the newborn boy symbolizes this vow.
Under Siddhappa’s leadership they traveled some village to village performing these dances and came to the called KUCHILU, an abbreviation of the Sanskrit word KUSILAVA, meaning the cast of a dramaticostracized them treating them as socially inferior and undesirable. Siddhendra was not disheartened, he took the Brahmin artists to the waste land near by and made it their own special residential settlement which was gradually transformed into a village know as KUCHILAPURAM or the abode of dancers-actors. This was later corrupted or shortened into KUCHIPUDI. To this day the village remains the home of the same nine families who originally settled her turning a waster land into temple of arts. And to this day they observe the same strict discipline that was imposed on them by Siddhendra Yogi. Besides rigorous training in classical dance which also includes a series of thought Physical exercises necessary to make the body supple and flexible they have to study a religious texts, Sanskrit as well as music, both theoretical and practical.
Siddhendra Yogi, who lived in the14th century AD was not only and exceptionally gifted scholar and artist, but was also endowed with a great creative vision. He broke new ground by adapting the format of the existing Yakshagana folk dance dramas. This was a departure from the usual practice of the then current dance firm the Bhagavatha Mela Kataka devoted to the worship of Vishnu. Bhagavatha Mela Nataka was a product of the Natyamela Nataka traditions dedicated to the worship of Shiva. In Bhagavatha Mela Natakas the dancers confined themselves to the interpretation of Sanskrit Slokas. There was little for rhythmic virtuosity, Siddhendra Yogi broad based Bhamakalapam by bringing in some of the element basic to the Yakshagan tradition such as Pravesa Daruvu or “Entrance Dance”. Jathis are rhythmic passages and songs set to lively rhythm. As a true pioneer, head of his time, he integrated the folk tradition into the classical format neatly and enlarges the horizons of the existing dance forms. Indeed he was father of the Kuchipudi style, which is at once stately and sensuous, esoteric and earthy.
This however is not to assume that the Kuchipudi form originated only in 14th-15th centuries. Even though the name derives form the village, the form as such is far more ancient than is commonly summarized. In the Natya Sastra (1st century BC), the authority of authorities on dance and drama, there is mention of the dance drama form rather than solo dance form. The dancer-actors states the dramatic performance called AMRITAMANTHANAM in the celestial court of Indra in a innovatory verse is mentioned of the 4 forms of dance prevalent in those times. Out of these DAKSHINATYA or South Indian form was apparently the early version of Kuchipudi.