Dear Indologists,

 

In the Cilappatikāram, the Tamil epic often dated ca. 5th century CE, the courtesan Mātavi performs 11 dances possibly based on puranic themes. Of these 11, four deal with dances performed by Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Indrāṇi, and Manmatha as part of their conflict with Bāṇāsura. I would appreciate any references to the story of Bāṇa in Sanskrit sources. Do these Sanskrit sources mention any such dances?   Also, how does the Sanskrit tradition explain the kingship of Bāṇa in light of Vāmana sending Bali to the netherworld?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Regards,

Palaniappan