Although, Kathak was an established tradition as a medium of worship during the Vaishnava age, it started being performed in courts with the coming of the Mughals. The dancer moved from thr temple courtyards to the palace durbar and this brought changes on the presentation as we know it today. Kathak saw a great period of glory in the 19th century during the reign of Wajid Ali Shah, the last nawab of Awadh. It was under his patronage that the Lucknow gharana was established. The two other important gharanas in Kathak are the Jaipur gharana and the Banaras gharana. Samira Hosseini