Mujra

Mujra is a form of dance originated by tawaif (courtesans) during the Mughal era. incorporated elements of the native classical Kathak dance onto music such as thumris and ghazals or poems of those from other Mughal cultures such as Bahadur Shah Zafar.^[1] Mujra was traditionally performed at mehfils and in special houses called kothas. During Mughal rule in the Indian subcontinent, in places such as Jaipur, the tradition of performing mujra was a family art and often passed down from mother to daughter amongst Muslim practitioners. The profession was a cross between art and exotic dance, with the performers often serving as courtesans amongst Mughal royalty or wealthy patrons.

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (better known as the Indian Mutiny) mujra performances provided an opportunity for mutineers to meet and many tawaif were also actively involved in the movement. As a result, many kothas were confiscated by the British after the mutiny, disrupting the traditional tawaif succession.^[2] By the early 1900s, many tawaif had moved into the prostitution industry as the traditional system had broken down. Some tawaif moved to the film and music industry like Gauhar Jaan and Nargis.^[3]

Modern mujra dancers perform at events like weddings, birthday events and bachelor parties in countries where traditional Mughal culture is prevalent, such as Pakistan,( lesser extent in India and Bangladesh) often performing a modern form of mujra along with popular local music. Mujra has been depicted in Bollywood films like Umrao Jaan and Devdas or other films that show the past Mughal rule and its culture. Most of the mujra movies are generated in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The women trained in mujras often end up in prostitution. One of the famous centers of mujra and prostitution in Pakistan is Hira Mandi, Lahore. It is also a tradition in Islamic Republic of Pakistan for men to throw paper currency over partially nude women dancing to mujra.

In 2005, when dance bars were closed across Maharashtra state, many former bar girls moved to Congress House near Kennedy Bridge on Grant Road area in Mumbai, city oldest hub for mujra, and started performing mujra. ^[4]

See also

• Hira Mandi
• Napier Road
• Dance bar
• Saima Khan

References

1. ^ http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=18994
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=OVw22RzAnaEC&pg=PA148&dq=kotha+mujra
3. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=OVw22RzAnaEC&pg=PA148&dq=kotha+mujra
4. ^ "It's time for mujra re for bar girls". The Times of India. November 1, 2005. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-11-01/india/27855743_1_bar-girls-bar-dancers-mujra. 

• Margaret Edith Walker: Kathak Dance - A Critical History, PhD dissertation, University of Toronto, 2004

Further reading

• Martha Feldman, Bonnie Gordon. The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives. pp. 312–352.