Curated by Aneesh Pradhan
Until the mid-nineteenth century royal courts in India were the main source of patronage to Hindustani music, but after 1858, the establishment of the British Crown as the paramount power in India crippled Indian princely power. Gradually, hereditary musicians and courtesans from Northern and Central India migrated to Bombay (now officially called Mumbai), one of the most important colonial cities in India. Musicians migrating to Bombay included women of the devadasi community from Goa and neighbouring areas, who were engaged in service to temples.