This book presents a distinctive account of the striking transformation of traditional music as it moved out of the quiet courtyards of Tanjore to the concert halls of Madras. It examines the making of a modern classical tradition and the related institution-building process, and raises larger questions of identity and imagination in the context of colonial and postcolonial social realities. The second edition with a new introduction updates the reader on the recent research in the field and highlights the need for an inter-disciplinary approach.