Category: Non-fiction
Rights: All rights available
A Dance of Patrons, Gods and Brides is a celebration of the timeless dialogue between Bharatanātyam and the great Dravidian temples of the Cholas. It reveals how dance and architecture were inseparable expressions of Tamil creativity, each inspiring and sustaining the other.
Through inscriptions, legends, and vivid storytelling, the book shows how Chola temples grew into cultural and economic powerhouses, financing military conquests, nurturing the arts, and sustaining generations of dancers. Within these sacred spaces, Sādir, the precursor to Bharatanātyam, found both a stage and a patron, supported not only by powerful kings but also by visionary queens.
Interpreted with simplicity and care, Bharatanātyam’s precision, grace, and sensual beauty are placed in dialogue with the splendour of temple sculpture, fresco, and design. The journey concludes with a breathtaking visual tribute to the UNESCO recognised Living Chola Temples, captured through magnificent photography.
A Dance of Patrons, Gods and Brides is both history and homage, an invitation to experience the grandeur of a civilisation where art, devotion, and power were woven into one.
The author: Swati Bhise