The iconic bronze figurine known as the 'Dancing Girl' of Mohenjo-daro appears with its bare torso covered in the latest NCERT arts textbook for Class 9, sparking debate over how one of India's most recognizable archaeological artefacts is presented to students.
Image Alteration in Textbook
The image is featured in the opening chapter, 'History of Arts', of Madhurima, NCERT's new Class 9 arts education textbook. In the textbook version, the figurine's torso appears visually altered compared to photographs of the original artefact, with shading used across the upper body that obscures anatomical details visible in the sculpture. In contrast, the 'Dancing Girl' in NCERT's Class 6 Social Science textbook appears in a form closer to the original bronze sculpture.
Expert Reactions
Michel Danino, who headed the textbook development committee for NCERT's new Class 6 social science books, said he was told the Dancing Girl figurine was considered 'not age-appropriate.' 'The reason I was given was that the image of the Dancing Girl was not age-appropriate. Our team disagreed; we even checked with teachers of Class 6, and they told us there was never a problem with the Dancing Girl,' Danino told PTI. He added, 'The notion that nudity is inappropriate is, in my opinion, an obsolete Victorian view. Yet, we speak of decolonising Indian education.'
Reacting to the image used in the new Class 9 arts textbook, Danino expressed disbelief. 'If the Dancing Girl cannot figure as she is, and with proper dimensions, in a chapter on Indian art, then we have a serious problem,' he said. He criticized the modification for misrepresenting the original artefact, comparing it to the Church's addition of a fig leaf to Michelangelo's statue of David in the Middle Ages.
Significance of the Figurine
Danino noted that archaeologists have offered differing interpretations of the figurine and that little is known about its context. He pointed out that the same akimbo posture has been found on at least two potsherds from the Harappan site of Bhirrana in Rajasthan, suggesting it held 'a precise cultural value, probably an artistic one.' He also criticized the alteration of images of historical artefacts, stating, 'Unless this is clearly done to indicate the possible reconstruction of a partial artefact, altering such an image amounts to creating a fake artefact. It points to a serious lack of understanding of how historical artefacts are to be pictured.'
NCERT's Silence
NCERT has not publicly commented on the variation in the representation of the figurine in the two textbooks. The controversy highlights ongoing debates about age-appropriate content and the presentation of cultural heritage in Indian education.
