ABSTRACT
Different art forms contain different historical options. Some forms became totally imitative, some accommodated Western ideas, others refused even to take cognizance of the colonial culture. With the coming of independence in 1947, the state of Indian culture naturally became a topic of prime public concern and debate. Indian dancers, critics and scholars usually talk of Bharatanatyam as an ancient dance form, handed down through the centuries with little or no change. The temple dancers naturally had an important role to play in all temple rituals, religious festivals and processions. Bharatanatyam traces its roots back to the Hindu temple towns and the ancient institution of temple dancers. The problems confronting Indian dance and music have been mainly of the internal origin. Western dance and music have hardly made a dent on the classical Indian scene. Painting and sculpture, on the other hand, are still fighting the overpowering influence of the West.
