BEYOND THE BINARIES: THE ‘OTHER WOMEN’ OF THE NĀṬYA LITERATURE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i1.2024.2398Keywords:
Nāṭya, Gaṇikās, Kulavadhū, Antahpura, Kulakanyā, Concubines, ParivrājikāAbstract [English]
This paper is an honest attempt to bring the ‘others’ women to main stream history or ‘Above History Line’ through the study of nāṭya literature Another purpose is to depart from the veśyā/gaṇikā–kulavadhū/kulastrī binaries and explore other women in terms of multiple categories. Nāṭya literature provides ample evidence to restore the history of urban marginalized women of all kinds, especially in the form of maids, slaves, stewardesses etc. This article seeks to highlight the importance of these women not only in the urban landscape but also in the pages of history. The lower folk represented in nāṭya literature, not only completes but complicate the picture of ancient Indian society. The other women represent who were not part of ruling class or propertied class or gift givers or chief courtesan but complete the narratives by being ascetics lady, queen’s retinue, female attendants of queens, household maids, personal maids, wardens of the private pleasure gardens of the palace, nurses, slave girls, helpers, guards, natis and even poor friends of heroines etc.
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