Kathak: Rhythmic Echoes and Reflections by Shovana Narayan

This book provides a glimpse into the little known facts connected with Kathak, the classical dance form of the Indo-Gangetic belt. While encompassing a detailed essay on the historical development of the dance form and its technical aspects, it is also a study on the continuity of the form and stance employed in the dance through a careful study of sculptures and paintings of the area beginning from the Mauryan period. It is a study of the 'devdasi' system in the region, the origin of the terms employed and their relation to the prevailing social conditions of the era and the philosophical attitudes underlying them- all of which are mirrored in the repertoire of Kathak.