This book is the result of 7,000 kilometres of travel through North India and five years of untiring field work, investigation and research. The mission was to understand the existence of Kathak villages and what Kathak and ‘Kathak Lok’ represented. Going from village to village, seeing Kathak-s dance in temples, meeting Maharajas, dancers, scholars and swamis, the authors peeled layer upon layer of history. Bit by bit facts revealed themselves, slowly lifting the curtain to a clear and accurate picture. The authors unearth little-known facts of pre-Christian era roots of Kathak and its role in propagating and preserving dharma, over the centuries, which continues as a living tradition today. This book will shatter many popular perceptions—such as the Mughal origins of Kathak or the belief that Kathak is the dance of the courtesans.