Asthana Vidushi
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Asthana Vidushi is an honorary title bestowed to a court musician or dancer in India. Notable Asthana Vidushis include Bangalore Nagarathnamma, Aruna Sairam,
Bombay Sisters The Bombay Sisters, C. Saroja (born 7 December 1936) and C. Lalitha (26 August 1938 – 31 January 2023), were an Indian Carnatic music singing duo. They received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, in 2020. Filmography # Y ...
, M. S. Sheela, Geetha Raja, as well as
Srirangam Gopalaratnam Srirangam Gopalaratnam (1939 – 16 March 1993) was an Indian classical and film playback singer. She is distinguished in the exposition of Kuchipudi, Yakshagana, Javali and Yenki Patalu. She was born to Varadachari and Subhadramma at Pushpagiri ...
, Shobha Raju, and S. Sowmya.


History

Epigraphical Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...
records attest that courtesans who were well versed in 64 forms of arts were called Vaiseshikas, and many of whom have even donated their wealth to build temples. Courtesans who were proficient in dance were called the Raja Nartaki's or Royal Dancers and those who were highly proficient in music were given the title Asthana Vidhusi. They were given the title by the Royal houses where they would be obligated to perform in the celebrations held in the royal court. In the case of erstwhile Royal house of the
Mysore Kingdom The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in South India, southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted su ...
performing artists in music and dance considered it a unique honour to be recognized by the Royalty and given the title 'Asthana Vidushi' or Court dancer or musician. Such recognition would help promote their career and they would gain name, fame, and riches by their sterling performances in music, dance and
abhinaya Abhinaya (Sanskrit ''abhi-'' 'towards' + ''nii-'' 'leading/guide') is the art of expression in Indian aesthetics. More accurately it means "leading an audience towards" the experience (') of a sentiment ('). The concept, derived from Bh ...
. Records of royal courts have a galaxy of many such Asthana Vidhushis. Apart from courtesans there were many other lady artists, who did not belong to the courtesan community of
devadasis In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...
, who were given the title of Asthna Vidhusi for their outstanding artistic achievements in the field of music and dance, particularly in the court of the Mysore Kingdom. One such person who was not a courtesan, was Venkatalakshamma, who at the age of 22 became an Asthana Vidhusi for her proficiency in dance and performed in the court of Mysore till her age of mid-fifties when she retired. She also went on to achieve fame and get the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...
for dance, the highest honour for an artist in India. A lower class lady from the scheduled caste belonging to the
Banjara The Banjara are nomadic tribes found in India. Etymology The Gor usually refer to themselves as ''Banjaras'' and outsiders as ''Kor'', but this usage does not extend outside their own community. A related usage is ''Gor Mati'' or ''Gormati'', ...
tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
, also known as Venkata Lamshamma, became an Astahana Vidhusi for dance and music. She was very famous and performed for several decades. One of the most notable success stories of a courtesan, hailing from humble beginnings, who became an Asthana Vidhushi in the Court of Mysore, was Bangalore Nagarathnamma. She later shifted to
Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
in the early 20th century to further her career, spent her life's earnings to promote
Carnatic Music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...
by ensuring the establishment of the Thyagaraja Aradhana, by building a temple for the famed Carnatic musician of the 18th century saint
Tyagaraja Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...
. This music festival is held even now, every year for five days, at Tiruvayur. By her activism, she ensured that once a male centric music festival was opened to women artists alongside the famous male artists in music, and to sing concurrently in unison in the Thyagaraja Aradhana. Another famous artist who specialized in Abhinaya, "the art of expression" form of dance was Jetti Thayamma. She became an Asthana Vidhusi in the royal court of Mysore. Now, religious institutions such as
maths Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, theories and theorems that are developed and proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many areas of mathematics, which include num ...
and temples have been honouring artists with the title Ashthana Vidhushi. One such example is of the
Bombay Sisters The Bombay Sisters, C. Saroja (born 7 December 1936) and C. Lalitha (26 August 1938 – 31 January 2023), were an Indian Carnatic music singing duo. They received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, in 2020. Filmography # Y ...
, C. Saroja and C. Lalitha, who perform in a duo, were given the title Asthana Vidhushis for Carnatic Music by the
seer A seer is a person who practices divination. Seer(s) or SEER may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Seer (band), an Austrian music band * Seer (game series), a Chinese video game and cartoon series ** ''Seer'' (film), 2011, based on the ...
of Kanchi Mutt, who also gave them the epithet of “Bombay Sisters”. They also went on to get the coveted
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...
for Carnatic Music, in 2004.


References

{{reflist Indian entertainers Indian musicians