India has a rich theatrical history that dates back approximately to the first century AD. However, there have been references that assert that some kind of theatrical activity with elements of music, dance, and acting had been in vogue in India for at least a thousand years before the Christian era. However, the exact date of its birth or the origin of the theatre cannot be traced. In his book The Wonder That Was India (1954), A. L. Basham, a prominent historian, writes, “The origin of Indian theatre is still obscure. It is certain, however, that even in the Vedic period, dramatic performances of some kind were given, and passing references in early resources point to the enaction at festivals of religious legends, perhaps only in dance and mime” (434–435).