The Indus Valley Civilisation Has A Message. And It's Important.
- Shivendra Singh
- Nov 29, 2015
- 2 min read
“Dancing Girl” was found buried deep where once teemed the Indus Valley Civilisation. She rose to tell just how daring those early days were, when India was dawning upon the world.
If art, of any age, is the barometer of that age, then this work of art – our “Dancing Girl” – speaks volumes about our beginnings.
The boldness with which she stands, the openness of her posture, the proud, arrogant face, eyes closed, perhaps retaining within a splendor – these indicate just how those early days were, don’t they? In her attitude lies the secret of the great continuity and adventure of our Indian civilization!
A famous British historian was quite moved when he looked at our “Dancing Girl” and said: "She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but she stands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. A girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world."
And today, when forces are hard at work to redefine and rewrite what India was, to repackage, to tell and to command, to lay down rules and interpretations, to try to fit a vibrant civilization into boring quarters of despicable definitions, our “Dancing Girl” stands – brave and naked, hinting at the kind of freedom with which India began, the kind of freedom that not only gave religions and philosophies but also showed how to eat and drink, how to create, how to love, how to make love, how to enjoy – and how to live!
We are her heirs. All of us. Behind us lies an unmatched heritage. Don’t let anyone distort it. Don’t let anyone restrict. Don’t let anyone interpret it for you. Go out and discover for yourself!
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