Bharata Natyam From Temple to Theatre

Anne-Marie Gaston’s Bharata Natyam: From Temple to Theatre is a landmark study tracing the transformation of Bharatanatyam from a sacred temple ritual performed by Devadasis to a modern stage art embraced by the urban elite. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, interviews, and historical sources, Gaston explores the socio-cultural shifts, caste dynamics, and aesthetic reinventions that shaped the dance’s evolution.