Odissi is known to be the oldest classical dance form in India based on archaeological evidence. Odissi originated in the Hindu temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India. The theoretical foundations of Odissi trace back to the ancient Sanskrit text Natya Shastra, and its existence in antiquity evidenced by the dance poses in the sculptures of Odisha's Hindu temples, and archaeological sites related to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is traditionally a dance-drama genre of performance art, where the artist(s) and musicians play out a mythical story, a spiritual message or devotional poem from the Hindu texts, using symbolic costumes, body movement, abhinaya (expressions) and mudras (gestures).