Its a sanskrit word meaning conveyance of an idea, an emotion or event to the audieance. The dancer brings out the bhava that will give the audience rasa meaning emotions and feelings. Abhinaya enables the dancer or actor to bring about the different psychostates of the characters concerned, in a drama or a dance performance.

Abhinaya also resorted to in katha-kalakshepam meaning narration of a history, story, epic, myth or event through musical recitation with or without instrumental support.

Abhinaya can be done through four different aspects;

Angika through physical presentation
Vachika verbal or musical presentation
Aharya decorative presentation and
Satvika evocation of feelings and sentiment
Each aspect of Abhinaya is vital to convey the meaning of the theme to audience.

Angika Abhinaya; Physical Presentation
Its meaning is gesture language of limbs. There are three divisions of limbs Anga(major limbs) , Pratyanga(minor limbs) and Upanga( features). There are definitions on how to move different parts of limbs of dancer.

Vachika Abhinaya; Verbal Presentation
The singer gives sounds to the words of each song with instruments while dancer interprets the meaning or to music and rhythm in dance recital or dance-drama. By giving proper melody to song the Vachika helps to enhance the total effect on the audience.

Aharya Abhinaya; Decorative Presentation
Costumes should be made suitable to sentiments and coloured accordingly. Make up should reflect the character of dancer even though it can add more beauty to dancer by using ornaments. Aharya includes stage, stage-setting, scenery, auditorium and ornaments.

Satvika Abhinaya; Evocation of Feelings and Emotions
It means creating the art of emotions naturally caused by external feelings or sentiments in sympathy with others. It will naturally add expression to dancer according to the character in the performance.