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Vasantasenā; by Raja Ravi Varma
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India.
Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and it was not a taboo.[1] The most beautiful and talented (in various dance forms) woman was chosen as the Nagarvadhu.
A Nagarvadhu was respected like a queen or Goddess, but she was a courtesan; people could watch her dance and sing.[2] A Nagarvadhu's price for a single night's dance was very high, and she was only within the reach of the very rich – the king, the princes, and the lords.
Famous Nagarvadhus
- Amrapali, state courtesan and Buddhist disciple, described in Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu by Acharya Chatursen
- Vasantasena, a character in the classic Sanskrit story of Mricchakatika, written in the 2nd century BC by Shudraka
See also
- Devadasi
- Deuki
- Ca trù, a similar profession in Vietnam
- Geisha, a similar profession in Japan
- Kisaeng, a similar profession in Korea
- Tawaif, a similar profession in India
- Yiji, a similar profession in China
References
- ^ Spectrum lead article, The Sunday Tribune, 24 Dec 2000
- ^ "~viktor/wisdom/osho/marriage". phys.uni-sofia.bg. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2014.