Tag Archives: Indian History

The 1960s in India.

In no specific order: The decade started with Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister and ended with Indira Gandhi as the PM.  From 1964-1966, we had Lal Bahadur Shastri (pictured here in 1964) as the Prime Minister. In 1961 Goa was annexed … Continue reading

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The 1950s in India

The 1950s was the first decade of India as an independent, sovereign country.  After the excitement of the 30s and 40s, it is a decade in which the excitement lies in nation-building.  This was a decade of nationalisation in which … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, 20th century, History, Independence, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Spiritual Post

The word spiritual is a rather loose rubric for this post which encompasses women philosophers, traditions of mysticism and wandering minstrels. None of these is entirely exclusive of the other yet they are different ways of pursuing knowledge or the … Continue reading

Posted in 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Ancient India, Culture, Early 20th Century, Hinduism, History, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian Singers, Indian Women, Late 19th century, Medieval India, miniature paintings, Paintings, vintage art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Women in Uniform Post

  More on tumblr. For pic 2 also see [x] [x]

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, History, Indian Women, Military, Police, Uniforms, Vintage, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Women who Ruled Post

On tumblr: Razia Sultan and Chand Bibi.

Posted in 13th century, 18th century, Indian History, Islamic Dress, Tumblr, Vintage, Women Rulers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The 16th Century Post

Just a few bits and pieces before I move on. First, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, set in 16th century India.  By this century  there were a number of influences flowing though India but Mira Nair quite obviously roots her aesthetic in old … Continue reading

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Ancient Indian Costume

The main garment was the antariya of white cotton, linen or flowered muslin, sometimes embroidered in gold and precious stones. The antariya was secured at the waist by a sash or kayabandh, often tied in a looped knot at the center front of the waist. … Continue reading

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The Light of Asia/Prem Sanyas

mudwerks: Seeta Devi, 1925 (by pictosh) You can see an example of the breast band in The Light of Asia/Prem Sanyas. The film is about the life of Gautama Buddha with Seeta Devi playing the Buddha’s wife. There are a number of stills at memsaab’s site, … Continue reading

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Santosh Sivan’s Asoka

Santosh Sivan’s epic film of the Mauryan King, Asoka, surprisingly sticks to a simple, subdued palette and body decoration for the princess Kaurwaki. Again not quite the choli but perhaps a sewn breast band. And the film it appears is fairly authentic in terms of plot.

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