A day-long symposium in Mumbai to pay an ode to tawaifs and baijis

A day-long symposium remembers the contributions of courtesans to our culture

The tawaifs and baijis were once considered the epitome of performance art. They were held in high esteem and treated at par with royalty. However, the important contributions of the courtesan culture to Indian heritage have unfortunately been mitigated in the pages of history, having left residual and often highly romanticised traces. Now, the Sufi Kathak Foundation, the Royal Opera House and Avid Learning are hosting a unique event that will bring the magic, mannerisms and mujras of the tawaifs back to life.

To be held on April 27, Tehzeeb-e-Tawaif will explore the role and significance of women artistes and how they irrevocably influenced dance and musical legacies of India. Kathak dancer Manjari Chaturvedi has curated sessions that retell stories, reaffirm histories and address issues related to these exemplary performers.

She says, "My efforts are to question and remove the social stigmas associated with the tawaifs and give them their respectful place as artistes par excellence. We need to draw the attention of the society towards our erstwhile courtesans and how discriminatory practices impacted not only their lives, but also [the lives] of their families."

The symposium will be followed by discussions. Archivist AN Sharma, one of the speakers at the event, says, "Thomas Edison once said that to invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. My journey of the last three decades in the realm of aural history of colonial tawaifs is guided by this quote only."
The day will also include a screening of the documentary film, Anwesha, which explores the performance traditions of Kolkata.

WHEN: April 27; 11 AM to 5.30 PM
WHERE: Royal Opera House, Mama Parmanand Marg
RSVP: www.avidlearning.in

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