Mujra

Mujra is a form of dance originated by North Indian tawaif (courtesans) during the Mughal era. Mujra incorporates elements of Kathak dance and is based on thumris, ghazals or popular poems from the likes of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Bahadur Shah Zafar etc. Mujra was traditionally performed at mehfils and in special houses called kothas. In Jaipur, the tradition of performing mujra was a family art and often passed down from mother to daughter. Although tawaif later became a synonym for prostitute and kotha a synonym for brothel, earlier tawaif were artists and entertainers.

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 mujra performances provided an opportunity for revolutionaries to meet and many tawaif were also actively involved in the movement. As a result, many kothas were confiscated by the British after the rebellion, disrupting the traditional tawaif succession. 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 Bollywood actress Nargis.

Mujra has experienced a modern revival in India and other countries such as Russia. Modern mujra dancers perform at events like weddings, birthday events and bachelor parties, often performing a modern form of mujra along with popular Bollywood dance styles. Mujra has been depicted in Bollywood films like Umrao Jaan, Devdas and Yatra.

See also

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

References

• 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.