Abstract
Kuṟavañci is a genre of Tamil literature written within the framework of the well-established hyper-genre of prabandhas positioned at the crossroad of high and folk tradition. The texts of kuṟavañcis served as librettoes for night-long dance performances enacted by devadasis, the temple dancers and courtesans, during important festivals in many Hindu temples in southern India.
These performances dwindled in the 19th century mainly due to the decline od the status of the devadasi institution and general disregard of their art. While over 100 kuṟavañcis were preserved in the textual form, only a handful of them remained part of the living repertoir.
The dance of devadasis was revived by social elites during the first decades of the 20th century and transformed into a classical dance of India known under the name of Bharatanatyam which soon reached new height of popularity. The performances of kuṟavañcis were also revived.
They were taken from the original temple ritual setting and altered to fit the new urban audience and the context the modern theatre stage. In this paper I will examine several aspects that mark the transition of kuṟavañcis.