Portrait of a Nautch Girl by Raja Deen Dayal

This photograph by Raja Deen Dayal is a stunner! See this for pic credit.

A plethora of emotions churned within me seeing this picture.  First, the terrific looks, the confidence, the posture - again confident and relaxed.  The magnificent effect of the monochromatic picture moved me.

If you see it properly, the face of the girl shows she is very young, may be 14 or 15 years old.  NOW, the write up next to the picture (which I did not click) said, she was a 'Natch girl' which means, that she was a professional dancer.... and I guess many things are said and unsaid here.... 

After I had gotten over the magnetic appeal of this picture, a thought strung me badly.  Girls her age, were not educated, and the families traditionally into this profession would encourage their daughters to take up the profession of a dancer, no choice here.  Thinking about the exploitation they must have suffered at that time, pained me.

And to prove the point, another picture waited for me. it said it all, I'll be posting it next.

Be there.

RESTLESS