Devadasi, Raja Dasi or Kutcheri Dasi Devadasis have acquired a variety of definitions and roles over the years. Women of Pride studies, in depth, the Devadasi tradition and its transformation into living cultural phenomenon in the context of Hindu tradition. The book brings into focus the activities and identities of the Devadasis and examines the functions and forms of the Devadasi tradition.
The changing face of the tradition has been authenticated and given a voice by the author by featuring some of the most prominent Devadasis of our times. The book also examines the Devadasi reform movement in a political, religious and social context.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lakshmi Vishwanathan
Lakshmi Vishwanathan is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer who has won critical acclaim in India and abroad. She has received many honours including the Tamil Nadu State Kalaimamani and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Her most recent appearances at the Jacobs Pillow Festival and at a workshop in the Mark Morris Dance Center in the USA are part of Lakshmi ongoing efforts to be India cultural ambassador. A trained singer as well, Lakshmi dance, particularly her abhinaya, has been described by pundits as visual music. Lakshmi holds a gold medal in English Literature from Madras University. She writes extensively on Art and Culture for The Hindu. Besides having authored a book on dance, Bharatanatyam the Tamil Heritage, she has also directed Poetry of Dance, a documentary film commissioned by the Festival of India. Lakshmi was born and brought up in Mylapore, the cultural hub of Madras and has contributed in many ways to preserving and nurturing the classical culture of South India. She is currently the Vice President of the prestigious Music Academy.
There are no reviews yet.