Sruti.
Issue 187. April 2000

NITYASUMANGALI - Devadasi Tradition in South India. By Saskia C. Kersenboom. Reprint of a 1987 edition. [Motilal Banarsidass, Bungalow Road, jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007. Pp. 226. Paperback - Rs. 195; clothbound - Rs. 295].

Even a cursory glance throuh Kersenboom's book on the much discussed devadasi tradition is enough to indicate the strikingly different a approach adopt ed by the author, who is a student of Indology with a doctoral degree in Dravidology, a dedicated scholar and Director of Parampara, a Foundation for Traditional Arts of South India, located in Holland, her native country.

A careful study reveals the distinct merits in the treatment of the subject, which is serious, holistic and profound with fine perceptions and cogent synthesis. The methodology is quite admirable. The projection of the concept of Nityasumangali (the ever auspicious) as the central idea, the sthayi supported by multiple corroborations, with centripetal discussion as sanchari, based on intensive search and a serious probe into a variety of relevant sources, including Tolkappiyam, the Sangam literature, and the agama sastra-s to establish appropriate cross references, puts this interdisciplinary study on a highly meaningful plane. In fact, the study stands out from many other works on the devadasi theme which have proved deficient due to pre-conceived notions, prejudices, lack of proper insights, fragmented analysis, etc.

Dr. Kersenboom's dissertation gains much in authenticity because of her sincere effort at a thorough investigation, close personal involvement and experience with the discipline, and her deep understanding of the ethos governing the devadasi's life and activities. The native of the Netherlands seems to have become, through her empathy for the subject, 'a born again' traditional dancer of Tamil Nadu. The inputs are substantial; the focus is on the prayoga in its entirety; the sensitivity in capturing the subtle nuances is remarkable. The author's account is vivid and absorbing,.a meticulous materialisation of a wellconceived design. Thus, we understand, the devadasi is not just a professional person as often seemingly pitted against society, but a sanctified person, a ritual specialist, an integral part of life revolving around the temple.

Dr. Kersenboom's presentation excels due as well to her proficiency in philology, her flair for exposition and her facility for lucid expression. The treatise represents more than a labour of love; it is a product of devotion that would serve the needs of genuine understanding and appreciation of an intricate system in a proper contextual setting and the larger perspective.

The CD on Devadasi Murai, supplied with the clothbound book, has been brought out jointly by the author and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). It enhances the utility of the text in the book by giving us a guided tour, as it were, of the sequence of ritual worship in a temple, the role of the devadasi in it, and so on.

MANNA SRINIVASAN