How this dance came to be practiced by people over the centuries.
The dance form of Lord Nataraja and Goddess Parvathi was taken up by many female devotees who were called “Deva Dasis” meaning “the Lord’s Servant”. They were talented in dance, music, poetry, language and literature and they lived in the precincts of a temple totally dedicated to worship and performed dance regularly on many special occasions. Impressed with their skill, worship, and servitude to the divine they were frequently invited by the kings of the days to perform in the royal court. They came to be called “Raja Nartaki” meaning royal court dancers. Thus, dance entered the royal palaces of kings and queens and enjoyed their patronage.
While some dancers were held in high esteem in society, others were not and so the craft of dancing slowly fell into disrepute. Devadasis lost their respect. Unable to sustain themselves economically due to the decline of aristocracy, dancers and dance traditions reached their lowest point