Saturday, August 18, 2012

Minai discusses Soneji's book on devadasis

in http://cinemanrityagharana.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/kalavantuludevadasi-dances-in-films.html
"Soneji's focus on the functions and lives of the "devadasi" community outside of their temple work is supremely interesting.  At one point in the book, he outlines his concern, “But why do we not hear of the secular "salon performances" of devadasis in cultural histories of South India?  Why are historical representations of dance in South India linked almost exclusively to temples and temple culture?  How has the use of the term "devadasi," full of ritual and religious connotations, eclipsed possibilities of thinking about the nonreligious lives of professional dancing women in this region?""
It seems that a large number of them acquired some financial independence, freedom from some of the oppressive norms for females in general, many were more educated than women in general and there were also some writers. These freedoms seem to have been lost during the century starting from mid nineteenth. A similar trajectory with tawaif singers in North India. This last article also links to book review in which Gandhi's reactions tp prostitutes attempted efforts to join the Congress Party.

3 comments:

turanga said...

On
“But why do we not hear of the secular "salon performances" of devadasis in cultural histories of South India? Why are historical representations of dance in South India linked almost exclusively to temples and temple culture? How has the use of the term "devadasi," full of ritual and religious connotations, eclip

The material on this may be sparse but not non-existent. I know of some writing in Kannada, fictional and non-fictional that deal with this.

gaddeswarup said...

KP,
Soneji's work was mostly in some parts of Taminadu Nd Andhra. Perhaps, you can mention to him the literature in Kannada. I liked the book. He actually interviewed several devadasis and the book gives glimpses of their inner lives and how the audience might have reacted to them. Recently I watched the performance of an Indian type dance on the silk Road where when could see the audience and their reactions, 'Silk Road 10,journey in to music' approximately 20 minutes in to the video available onyoutube. Perhaps that sort of reactions are now lost for devadasis dances. I vaguely remember watching a performance around 1950 but do not remember much.

johnpeterjohn said...

full of ritual and religious..nice one..!
cool math games for kids