Kalā

The mastery of over 64 kinds of skills is called chatushashti Kalas. They are:

1. Geet vidya: singing.
2. Vadya vidya: playing on musical instruments.
3. Nritya vidya: dancing.
4. Natya vidya: theatricals.
5. alekhya vidya: painting.
6. viseshakacchedya vidya: painting the face and body with color
7. tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara: preparing offerings from rice and flowers.
8. pushpastarana: making a covering of flowers for a bed.
9. dasana-vasananga-raga: applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, cloths and painting the body.
10. mani-bhumika-karma: making the groundwork of jewels.
11. sayya-racana: covering the bed.
12. udaka vadya: playing on music in water.
13. udaka-ghata: splashing with water.
14. citra-yoga: practically applying an admixture of colors.
15. malya-grathana-vikalpa: designing a preparation of wreaths.
16. sekharapida-yojana: practically setting the coronet on the head.
17. nepathya-yoga: practically dressing in the tiring room.
18. karnapatra-bhanga: decorating the tragus of the ear.
19. sugandha-yukti: practical application of aromatics.
20. bhushana-yojana: applying or setting ornaments.
21. aindra-jala: juggling.
22. kaucumara: a kind of art.
23. hasta-laghava: sleight of hand.
24. citra-sakapupa-bhakshya-vikara-kriya: preparing varieties of delicious food.
25. panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana: practically preparing palatable drinks and tinging draughts with red color.
26. suci-vaya-karma: needleworks and weaving.
27. sutra-krida: playing with thread.
28. vina-damuraka-vadya: playing on vina- a stringed instrument and small two headed drum.
29. prahelika: making and solving riddles.
30. durvacaka-yoga: practicing language difficult to be answered by others.
31. pustaka-vacana: reciting books.
32. natikakhyayika-darsana: enacting short plays and anecdotes.
33. kavya-samasya-purana: solving enigmatic verses.
34. pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa: designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows.
35. tarku-karma: spinning by spindle.
36. takshana: carpentry.
37. vastu-vidya: engineering.
38. raupya-ratna-pariksha: testing silver and jewels.
39. dhatu-vada: metallurgy.
40. mani-raga jnana: tinging jewels.
41. akara jnana: mineralogy.
42. vrikshayur-veda-yoga: practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs.
43. mesha-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi: knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds.
44. suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana): maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos.
45. utsadana: healing or cleaning a person with perfumes.
46. kesa-marjana-kausala: combing hair.
47. akshara-mushtika-kathana: talking with fingers.
48. dharana-matrika: the use of amulets.
49. desa-bhasha-jnana: knowing provincial dialects.
50. nirmiti-jnana: knowing prediction by heavenly voice
51. yantra-matrika: mechanics.
52. mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa: fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry.
53. samvacya: conversation.
54. manasi kavya-kriya: composing verse mentally.
55. kriya-vikalpa: designing a literary work or a medical remedy.
56. chalitaka-yoga: practicing as a builder of shrines called after him.
57. abhidhana-kosha-cchando-jnana: the use of lexicography and meters.
58. vastra-gopana: concealment of cloths.
59. dyuta-visesha: knowing specific gambling.
60. akarsha-krida: playing with dice or magnet.
61. balaka-kridanaka: using children's toys.
62. vainayiki vidya: enforcing discipline.
63. vaijayiki vidya: gaining victory.
64. vaitaliki vidya: awakening master with music at dawn.

Hindu art

• http://www.pudhucherry.com/pages/kalai.html
• http://www.chennaiiq.com/general_knowledge/tamil/aaya_kalaigal_64_art.asp