The bayaderes (temple dancers) dazzled the French, delighted the English and influenced some of the leading artists, composers and choreographers of the 19th century. Austria also saw Johann Strauss I (1804-1849) creating his "Indianer Galopp" under the inspiration of the visiting devadasis. A galopp--named after a horse in a hurry--is a ballroom dance which later evolved into the polka. Similarly influenced, dance music composer Josef Franz Karl Lanner (1801-1843) composed his "Malapou Galopp," a love-dance of the Bayaderes. Both were well-received and are still extant. Further afield, conspicuous, tangible outcomes of the long-term impact of the devadasis included Gautier's massive ballet Sacountala (1858), choreographed by Lucien Petipa (1815-1898) and Lucien's brother Marius Petipa’s (1818-1910) highly spectacular ballet La Bayadere.
(‘1838: South Indian Dancers Tour Europe,’ Dr. Kusum Pant Joshi, Hinduism Today, Jan - March 2009)

The thillana ‘Dheem thanana’ in Hamsanandhi is set to Rupaka talam and composed by Ponnayya. In the charanam he says, “Oh Sankara, save me as you are the one who saves anyone who seeks your blessings, even the devas pray to you as Brihadeeswara.” The choice of the Brihadeeswara temple for a thillana is appropriate since the temple was constructed at a time when music, dance and drama were more closely connected than they are today.
(‘It was the pinnacle of fine arts,’ Pradeep Chakravarthy, The Hindu Fri Review, Feb 20, 2015)

Snippets - Monthwise listing