What do you think?
Rate this book
Stories Of Tamil Devadasis & Dance Dramas In Rig Veda
The book titled STORIES OF TAMIL DEVADASIS & DANCE DRAMAS IN RIG VEDA has two parts. The first part deals with the Tamil Devadasis of India and Sri Lanka. I came across a rare Tamil book in the British Library in London. The authoress herself was born in a Devadasi family and had published a book in Tamil about 100 years ago. When I featured the book on Facebook, one research scholar approached me to translate it into English. I did a translation giving the gist of her writing. My thanks are due to that woman Ms Anjukam. She had collected the life stories of about 30 courtesans.
The second part of the book contains my research articles on the origin of dance and dramas. We have ample evidence for dance performances in the oldest book The Rig Veda. There are about 20 Dialogue Poems in the Rig Veda. They are actually dance dramas enacted after the Yagas and Yajnas. What we have got in those poems are the plots or themes of those dance dramas and the actors would have built full length dance dramas over those plots at that time. There are interesting articles on Bharata’s Natya shastra. Since it is a technical work, that too in Sanskrit, not many people know the contents. There are very interesting details about the origin, stage, colour of the theatre seats and actors, jewellery etc in the book.
The second part of the book contains my research articles on the origin of dance and dramas. We have ample evidence for dance performances in the oldest book The Rig Veda. There are about 20 Dialogue Poems in the Rig Veda. They are actually dance dramas enacted after the Yagas and Yajnas. What we have got in those poems are the plots or themes of those dance dramas and the actors would have built full length dance dramas over those plots at that time. There are interesting articles on Bharata’s Natya shastra. Since it is a technical work, that too in Sanskrit, not many people know the contents. There are very interesting details about the origin, stage, colour of the theatre seats and actors, jewellery etc in the book.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2022
2 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 5, 2023
Good Book on devadasi (Puranic)
A very good Puranic literature references from Tamil Saivism. Ms. Anjukam (1911) did a great job of research and compiling the book on this topic. She gave a balanced view of both good and bad Devadasi and also their moral codes and lifestyles.
One should read this book to understand the Puranic origins of devadasi in South India and Sri Lanka
Several books on devadasi by Modern scholars have give good details on the lifestyle and suffering of devadasi folks in recent times (30 years ago). This book will help them understand where it all started and gives a perception how things distorted in practice and time.
London Swaminathan gave a good summary on Natyasastra and music origin in pre vedic times till today. In certain astral heavens, dance and music are the way of living and enjoyment along with other exalted ways of pleasure. The similar influences of these astral entries on earth can be seen in the pre vedic/vedic literatures and influences.
A good book overall, a small 112 pages but delivers original research on this hardly touched topic, modern scholars should read this for a wider understanding on this topic, especially coming from Sri Lankan devadasi rather than rapidly evolving mainland India, gives a rare insight.
A very good Puranic literature references from Tamil Saivism. Ms. Anjukam (1911) did a great job of research and compiling the book on this topic. She gave a balanced view of both good and bad Devadasi and also their moral codes and lifestyles.
One should read this book to understand the Puranic origins of devadasi in South India and Sri Lanka
Several books on devadasi by Modern scholars have give good details on the lifestyle and suffering of devadasi folks in recent times (30 years ago). This book will help them understand where it all started and gives a perception how things distorted in practice and time.
London Swaminathan gave a good summary on Natyasastra and music origin in pre vedic times till today. In certain astral heavens, dance and music are the way of living and enjoyment along with other exalted ways of pleasure. The similar influences of these astral entries on earth can be seen in the pre vedic/vedic literatures and influences.
A good book overall, a small 112 pages but delivers original research on this hardly touched topic, modern scholars should read this for a wider understanding on this topic, especially coming from Sri Lankan devadasi rather than rapidly evolving mainland India, gives a rare insight.
Displaying 1 of 1 review