Act I
Scene 1
The Sacred forest, outside the temple
Warriors enter in the sacred forest following the great tiger hunt and are joined by Solor, the noblest of warriors in the land. Solor asks to be left along to offer prayer for celebration of sacred fire, but once alone he calls the Head Fakir (Magdaveya) to arrange a midnight rendezvous for him with Nikiya, one of the temple dancers.
Priests led by the High Brahmin enter and the Head Fakir is ordered to call the other Fakirs to build up the sacred fire for the coming celebration. The High Brahmin calls for Nikiya, who has been chosen to be consecrated as the head temple dancer (bayadère). As she prepares for the rite, the High Brahmin overwhelmed by her beauty and declares his love. He is rejected by Nikiya as he is a man of God—and though he offers the crown of his position to prove his love, she refuses and leaves the High Brahmin deeply hurt.
The ceremony begins as temple girls bring water to the Fakirs, and the Head Fakir has the opportunity to give Solor’s message to Nikiya. Nikiya agrees to the tryst, but the High Brahmin is suspicious. The celebration ends and all leave.
The Head Fakir calls Solor and tells him to hide at the edge of the forest, for Nikiya will meet him. Nikiya comes from the temple and as she dances a love adagio, Solor joins her and swears eternal love over the sacred fire. The High Brahmin has been watching the lovers from within the temple, and after the Head Fakir, suspecting danger, separates the pair. The High Brahmin enters in fury and invokes the gods to help him kill Solor.
Scene 2
A Room in the Palace
The Rajah invites warriors to the Palace to honor Solor and drink to his fame. Solor arrives and Rajah announces that his reward will be marriage to his daughter Gamzatti. When the Rajah presents his child to Solor and lifts her veil, Solor is stunned by her beauty; and though he has sworn eternal love to the bayadère Nikiya, cannot refuse the offer of the Rajah.
The maid Aya announces the arrival of the High Brahmin who requests a private audience with the Rajah. He tells the Rajah of Solor and Nikiya’s love in hopes that the Rajah will kill Solor, but instead the Rajah decides to eliminate Nikiya, to the dismay of the High Brahmin.
Gamzatti overhears this conversation and summons Nikiya to her presence. She offers her rival jewels and gifts to leave Solor, but Nikiya refuses and ultimately is prevented from killing Gamzatti by the attendant Aya. Gamzatti now, like her father, decides to kill Nikiya.
Scene 3
The Garden of the Palace
Entertainments are given to honor the betrothal of Gamzatti and Solor. The High Brahmin brings Nikiya, who is to dance for the ceremony. She cannot face the truth of the engagement and dances a very sad adagio. During her variation, the maid Aya brings her a basket of flowers says that they are from Solor. Nikiya’s spirits rise and as she dances she throws flowers to the crowd. But the flowers were sent by Gamzatti and the Rajah and contain a poisonous snake. As Nikiya lifts the flowers to smell them, she is fatally bitten. The High Brahmin has an antidote for the poison, but Nikiya, as she sees Solor led away from the scene by Gamzatti and the Rajah, resolutely decides to die and expires as the High Brahmin mourns.
Act II
Solor's Tent
Solor is completely despondent and the Head Fakir gives him some opium which he smokes. As he hallucinates, he sees a vision of Nikiya which will not leave him. He sees a reminiscence of the love dance he shared with her.
As his vision enlarges, he imagines many Nikiyas in the Kingdom of the Shades.
He remains in a trance in his tent as the warriors come to prepare him for his wedding to Gamzatti. Solor cannot separate reality from fantasy, and the Rajah and Gamzatti come to remind him of his duty.
Act III
The temple
In the shadow of the Great Buddha, a bronzed idol dances as the High Brahmin and priests prepare for the wedding of Gamzatti and Solor. Solor and his friends arrive, followed by Gamzatti and two attendants. Gamzatti dances a variation to display her beauty and love for Solor. The Temple dancers (bayadères) perform a ritual candle dance and form a ring around the couple, reminiscent of the sacred fire which burns outside the temple.
A pas de quatre between Gamzatti, Solor, the Rajah and Nikiya follows, but Nikiya is a vision seen only to Solor. During the dance, mysteriously a basket of golden flowers appears to Solor as a gift for Gamzatti. It is the same basket in which the snake that killed Nikiya was hidden. Gamzatti is terrified and consumed with guilt, and as Solor behaves strangely, she urges her father to finish the marriage ceremony, herself filled with feelings of impending doom.
Gamzatti and Solor climb the altar where the High Brahmin performs the wedding. Gamzatti has said yes to the vows, but Solor cannot bring himself to answer. He sees a vision of Nikiya and answers yes to the apparition and all are killed. It is the vengeance of the gods on all evil-doers, and through the destruction, we see a vision of Paradise where Nikiya and Solor are united in eternal love.
