The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c11.s2.12

c11.s2.12

This custom probably became quite common in the 6th century A. D., when most of the Prurāṇas, containing a reference to it, seem to have been composed. In the 7th century Yuan Chwang saw numerous singing girls in the temple of the Sun at Multan. The *Rājātaraṅgiṇī* attests to the existence of this custom in Kashmir from about the 8th century A. D. The famous temple of Somanātha is said to have employed 500 dancing girls in order to provide music before the deity continuously throughout the day and night. Several inscriptions from south India prove the association of dancing girls with temple service from about the 9th century A. D. When king Rājarāja built his famous temple at Tanjore in the 10th century A. D., he deemed it necessary to provide for temple service no less than 400 dancing girls, each one of whom was given a piece of land for her maintenance.