A tribute to the fiery women warriors of India

Thirteen musicians, seven classical dancers, and two narrators recently paid homage to seven women warriors who fought against the British through the dance theatre production Warrior Women Of Bharat. Narrators

Rashmi Vaidyalingam

and

Averee Chaurey

brought alive the stories of various women warriors. The performance included various classical dance styles, and was set to a background score that included the patriotic song Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja.

‘Women warriors didn’t stick to prescribed gender roles’

Celebrating Azadi Ka

Amrit Mahotsav,

Bharatnatyam

dancer Pratibha Prahlad commemorated women who stepped on the battlefield to fight for their rights. She said, “These women did not just stick to their prescribed gender roles, their stree dharma. They fought for what was theirs.” Sattriya dancer

Sharodi Saikia

added, “Women are not abla. We must remember the sacrifices women warriors have made to make India independent.”

‘It was great to see a full house’
This was Kathak dancer

Shovana Narayan

’s first offline performance – and Pratibha Prahlad’s first big public event in Delhi – since the pandemic. Pratibha told us, “I didn’t do online performances. I don’t believe in performing to an inanimate object. ”
Arjun Jain, painter and proprietor of a cultural organisation in Delhi, added, “It was great seeing a full house. As things are returning to normal, it is good to see events like these happening in Delhi.”

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- Sunaina Jain