From The Files, Researching An Article

Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: DEVADASIS

Sir, As far as I know there was no specific name for the costume . I checked up with a few older generation of traditional practitioners , they also admit that no specific name. But it was commonly refered as KACHA-PUDAVAI Nine yards Kancheevaram Saari is worn with a Kaccham at the back ( some thing like the saari wearing of Maharaashtrian women ) or Bhrahmin Pancha-kaccham. There was no stitched dress, every performance they have to wear the saari, taking time to get the pleats correct. It was Rukminidevi who invented desinged stitched costume and popularised it.
Rukminidevi with her exceptional Indian aesthetic taste designed costumes to go with each Bharatanaatyam dancer, and used authentic traditional colours only.
The Devadaasis did not pay much attention to aesthetics in costume and make-up, very clumsy they used to dress up. So RDevi brought in a change for the betterment of the art and gave divinity not only to the performance, but also to costume, jewelry and make up.

Dhananjayan

On Sun, Apr 11, 2010 at 8:14 AM, bmnmurty wrote:

Dear Sri Dhananjayan,

I am planning to write an article, as a part of my wekly programme, on "'The Devadasi and the Geisha"

I seek your guidance as to how I describe the dress worn by the Devadasis in a brief paragraph.

I also take this opputunity to wish you and Mrs. Shanta A Happy New Year which you would be celebrating on 14th April 2010

May God Bless You !

B.M.N.Murthy, 11th April 2010

For information of all connected with Bharathanatyam.

B.M.N.Murthy, 12th April 2010