Nautch Girls of the Raj

‘The life and times of the notch girl evoked by Nevile are an eye-opener’ —The Times of India ‘To see her is to fall in love and to drink a cup of wine from the flask of her lustrous eyes is to be transported to the coziest corner of Heaven. To be with her even for a moment is to taste immortality.’ The much-celebrated notch girl, extravagantly adored for both her beauty and her virtuosity, belonged to a unique class of courtesans who played a significant role in the social and cultural life of India in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The notch girl, it may be said, was no ordinary woman of pleasure—she had refined manners, a ready wit and poetry in her blood. She embodied a splendid synthesis of different cultures and dance forms—the classical and the popular—and catered to the sophisticated tastes of the elite who had the time, resources and inclination to enjoy her accomplishments. Over the centuries female dancers have appeared in various incarnations, frequently as temple dancers dedicated to the gods, for dance is believed to have divine approval. However, historians, sociologists, novelists and chroniclers have not always done justice to the notch girl, depicting her as either a vamp or as a showgirl bought by the wealthy for festive occasions. This book highlights the emergence of the quintessential notch girl in the Mughal era when she reached the zenith of her talent and charisma. Her mystique continued to reign supreme during the Raj and her popularity and status among the English sahibs and the Indian aristocracy flourished during this period. Illustrated with reproductions and drawings obtained from collections all over the world this book offers a vivid glimpse of the seductive allure and dazzling grace of notch in its days of glory. ‘The notch girl may be no more…but she lives through the pages of Pran Nevile’s book…they bring to life vital periods of our recent history for which we have no record.’— The Hindustan Times