Pious and urbane: the temple and its denizens
- Vol.73(2&3), Dec-Mar
- Mumbai Marg Publications 2022
- 140-193p.
Temple-centred towns, particularly in South India, were flourishing by the 10th century, a sign of the institution’s role in land administration. Temple administrations became a significant economic force, extracting revenue and produce and providing irrigation and employment. Temples, being the god’s home, saw the creation of different types of entertainment pavilions. Depictions of gods dancing became more common after the 7th century and many scholars in the last century studied the nature of the performance traditions linked to temples, closely documenting their sculptures and paintings.