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The
arangetram was very important for a girl and Tamil literature is full of
information as to how the girl was dressed, taken in procession and after
arangetram she got the title of Talaikoli. The accompanying instruments
were flute, yazh, maddalam, idakka and other drums. An inscription in Tanjavur
mentions that there were 64 accompanists to a dance performance. This may
sound an exaggeration but this is what is mentioned in the inscription.
('Bharatanatyam in History' by T S Parthasarathy). |
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The
Asiatic Society, Kolkata, was established on January 15, 1784. Today, it
has over 47,000 manuscripts in 26 languages. Among its treasures are Kalachakravatara,
written on palm leaf on the mystical philosophy of cosmology, Kubjikamata,
a manuscript of 7th century on Tantrik Buddhism, and Maitreyavyakarana
on the prediction of the future.
('Treasure trove of traditions' by Sudha Gopalakrishnan, The Hindu Magazine, Jan 6, 2008) |
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There
were 430 dancers in the Thanjavur temple. Their names and addresses have
been recorded in the inscriptions. They were paid out of a corpus fund.
During the five pujas in the temple, all 430 dancers danced and worshipped
Lord Siva, accompanied by 150 musicians.
('Where stone speaks' by Suganthy Krishnamachari, The Hindu Friday Review, Feb 29, 2008) |
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