Pataka
Sanskrit
The flag — the first hand gesture every student learns.
MudraBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak
Meaning
Pataka is formed with the palm flat, fingers extended and held together, thumb bent to touch the base of the index finger. It is the first of the single-hand gestures and among the most used, standing for a flag, a forest, a cloud, a river, a blessing and much else according to how it is placed and moved.