Khorang at 01:43, 14 March 2026

2026-03-14T01:43:09Z

New page

{{Short description|none}}
{{About|non-erotic nudity in India in general, for example in arts, cultural and religious practices, and the related political aspects.|a focus on religious aspects|Nudity in religion#Indian/Dharmic religions}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
[[Nudity]] in India has a multifaceted history, deeply rooted in the nation's religious, cultural, and social practices. While public nudity is generally frowned upon in modern urban areas, specific religious and traditional contexts have embraced forms of nudity as symbols of purity, renunciation, or spirituality. The depiction of nudity in Indian art doesn't support the claim that public nudity was acceptable/normal across ''all'' castes and regions in India. By contemporary standards, the unclothed female upper body is considered semi-nude or a sign of obscene nudity, however, historically some regions and classes/[[caste]]s of [[modern-day India]], have traditionally had this kind of public nudity/semi-nudity as the norm.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sheth |first=Falguni A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HIRSEAAAQBAJ&dq=nair+breast+cloth+brahmin&pg=PA91 |title=Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-754713-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Crooke |first=W. |date=1919 |title=Nudity in India in Custom and Ritual. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2843441 |journal=The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland |volume=49 |pages=237–251 |doi=10.2307/2843441 |jstor=2843441 |issn=0307-3114}}</ref>
[[File:Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro.jpg|alt=Image showing the Dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro|thumb|''[[Dancing Girl (prehistoric sculpture)|Dancing girl]]'' of [[Mohenjo-Daro]]]]

== History ==
The history of nudity in India is a tapestry of evolving cultural, religious, and social norms. Spanning over millennia, the perception and representation of nudity have undergone significant transformations, reflecting the broader shifts in Indian society.

=== Ancient Period ===
'''Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1300 BCE)''': The artifacts from this period, particularly the terracotta figurines, display both male and female forms, sometimes in semi-nude states.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McIntosh |first=Jane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AJO2A-CbccC&q=dancing+girl |title=The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives |date=2008 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-57607-907-2 |pages=281, 407 |language=en}}</ref> These depictions highlight the civilization's possible comfort with the human form and its aesthetic appreciation. The [[Dancing Girl (prehistoric sculpture)|Dancing Girl]] is a notable bronze statue from [[Mohenjo-daro|Mohenjo-Daro]], one of the major sites of the [[Indus Valley Civilisation|Indus Valley Civilization]]. This figurine depicts a young woman in a semi-nude state and is currently housed at the [[National Museum of India|National Museum]] in [[New Delhi]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Upinder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&q=dancing+girl+harappa&pg=PA162 |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |date=2008 |publisher=Pearson Education India |isbn=978-81-317-1120-0 |pages=162 |language=en}}</ref>

'''Vedic Period (1500–500 BCE)''': The [[Rigveda]], one of the oldest Indian scriptures, makes occasional references to nudity, especially in the context of ascetic practices.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanyal |first=Jagdiswar |title=Guide to Indian Philosophy |year=1999 |location=Kolkata}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hopkins |first=Edward Washburn |date=1893 |title=Problematic Passages in the Rig-Veda |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/592358 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=15 |pages=252–283 |doi=10.2307/592358 |jstor=592358 |issn=0003-0279|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Nudity was seen as a form of renunciation from worldly attachments.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vedantaprana |first=Pravrajika |title=Saptahik Bartaman |publisher=2015 |location=Kolkata |pages=Vol. 28, no. 23}}</ref>

=== Classical Period ===
'''Buddhism and Jainism (6th Century BCE onwards)''': Ascetic practices in both religions sometimes involved renouncing clothing. Particularly in Jainism, the [[Digambara]] sect (meaning "sky-clad") had monks who embraced nudity as a symbol of complete detachment.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dundas |first=Paul |title=The Jains |date=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-26605-5 |edition=2nd |series=Library of religious beliefs and practices |location=London New York |pages=2}}</ref>

'''Temple Art and Sculpture''': The temples from the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] and post-Gupta periods, like [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|Khajuraho]], display intricate carvings of both divine and human figures in the erotic or non-erotic nude poses.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Daniélou |first=Alain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=09qUXlCkyVIC&q=khajuraho |title=The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism |date=2001 |publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear & Co |isbn=978-0-89281-854-9 |pages=3, 11 |language=en}}</ref> These weren't viewed as profane but rather as symbolic representations of divine beauty, the cycle of life, and the interplay of the cosmic principles.<ref name=":1" /> Similar works have been found with reference to the [[Chola Empire|Chola empire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dehejia |first=Vidya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9FrqAAAAMAAJ&q=nude |title=Chola: Sacred Bronzes of Southern India |date=2006 |publisher=Royal Academy of Arts |isbn=978-1-903973-84-4 |pages=29, 37, 153 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Medieval Period ===
'''[[Yogi]] practices''': Yogis have historically worn minimal clothing, and many were nude. This practice aligns with their belief in the importance of asceticism, the distancing from the material desires and attachments. In the biography of Saint Gorakhnath for example, we have references to nude male and female yogis who had visited the famous Amarnath Temple during medieval period of India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sankarnath |first=Roy |title=Bharater Sadhak [Saints of India] |year=1980 |location=Hare Street, Kolkata |pages=Vol. 7}}</ref> [[File:IN Khajuraho 0906 (28) (17254403552).jpg|alt=Image of nude non-erotic sculpture at Khajuraho, showing two naked men|thumb|Example of nude non-erotic sculpture at [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|Khajuraho]]]]
'''Islamic Invasion (12th Century onwards)''': With the advent of Islamic rulers, there was a cultural shift. The new rulers brought with them more conservative views on nudity and representation of the human form, leading to a decline in the artistic representation of nudity in public spaces, as well as a decline in public nudity in general.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Medieval India: problems and possibilities: essays in honour of Professor A. R. Kulkarni |date=2006 |publisher=Rawat Publications |isbn=978-81-316-0015-3 |editor-last=Seshan |editor-first=Radhika |location=Jaipur |editor-last2=Kulkarni |editor-first2=Anant R.}}</ref>

'''Bhakti and Sufi Movements''': While the larger society became more conservative, the [[Bhakti movement|Bhakti]] and [[Sufism in India|Sufi]] poets often used the metaphor of nakedness to symbolize purity, innocence, and a soul stripped of worldly desires.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thaosen |first=Maduli |date=2017-04-02 |title=The Bhakti Movement and Roots of Indian Feminism |url=https://feminisminindia.com/2017/04/03/bhakti-movement-women/ |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Feminism in India |language=en-GB}}</ref> In [[Odisha]], the [[Konark Sun Temple]] has nude artworks from the 13th century CE.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coomaraswamy |first=Ananda Kentish |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Yp_QgAACAAJ |title=History of Indian and Indonesian Art |date=1985 |publisher=Dover Publications |isbn=978-0-486-25005-2 |language=en}}</ref> The Kashmiri saint [[Lalleshwari|Lalleswari]] is said to have discarded her clothes and danced naked.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ramaswamy |first=Vijaya |date=1992 |title=Rebels — Conformists? Women Saints in Medieval South India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40462578 |journal=Anthropos |volume=87 |issue=1/3 |pages=133–146 |jstor=40462578 |issn=0257-9774}}</ref>
[[File:Konark_temple-1.jpg|alt=A sculpture on the temple wall|thumb|A sculpture on the temple wall in [[Konark Sun Temple]]]]

=== Modern/Colonial Era ===
'''British Colonial Rule (19th and 20th Centuries)''': Victorian morals and the British legal system further entrenched conservative views on nudity. The Indian Penal Code, introduced in 1860, criminalized public nudity. There was also a noticeable shift in the Indian art scene, with fewer depictions of the nude form as artists catered to the tastes of their colonial patrons.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Vishnu D. |last2=Wooldridge |first2=F. |date=1973 |title=The Law Relating to Obscene Publications in India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/757659 |journal=The International and Comparative Law Quarterly |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=632–647 |doi=10.1093/iclqaj/22.4.632 |jstor=757659 |issn=0020-5893|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In 19th century Travancore, baring of one's chest to higher status people was considered a sign of respect by both males and females. Thus, those of the lower status [[Caste system in India|castes]], such as the [[Nadar climber]]s, Even women of other dominant castes like the [[Nair]]s had to keep their breasts bare in the presence of [[Brahmin]] men. Nair women had no right to hide their breasts in front of them.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Valsiner |first=Jaan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B_7sDwAAQBAJ&dq=nair+breast+cloth+brahmin&pg=PA49 |title=Sensuality in Human Living: The Cultural Psychology of Affect |date=2020-06-23 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-41743-7 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Channar revolt]] was the Nadar climber women's fight for more than four decades, for the right to wear upper-body garments.

=== Post-Independence Era ===
After gaining independence in 1947, India saw a resurgence in interest in its classical arts, leading to a more liberal view of nudity in artistic contexts.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Boehmer |first1=Elleke |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ufirAgAAQBAJ&dq=post+colonial+indian+nude+art+mf+husain&pg=PT74 |title=The Indian Postcolonial: A Critical Reader |last2=Chaudhuri |first2=Rosinka |date=2010-10-04 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-81956-8 |language=en |chapter=see Chapter:2}}</ref> However, in the broader public sphere, nudity remained a taboo, influenced by centuries of changing norms and external influences. This has resulted in protests and attacks against modernist artists such as [[M. F. Husain|M. F. Hussain]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grimes |first=William |date=2011-06-09 |title=Maqbool Fida Husain, India's Most Famous Painter, Dies at 95 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/arts/design/maqbool-fida-husain-indias-most-famous-painter-dies-at-95.html |access-date=2023-11-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Group of Indian native children in the 1890s (2).jpg|Group of Indian native children in the 1890s. Nudity among children is considered [[Naturalism (philosophy)|natural]] in most of India.
File:Semi nude women with a king on the horse in the background- Deccani Painting.jpg|Semi nude women with a king on the horse in the background- [[Deccan painting|Deccani Painting]], 19th century
File:1910 Rodiya Ceylon Woman.png|Rodiya woman carrying water, Ceylon 1910
File:India, Mughal, 18th century - Lady after a Bath - 2009.317 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|Lady After A Bath, [[Mughal painting|Mughal Art]], 18th century
</gallery>

== References ==

{{reflist}}
{{Nudity}}

[[Category:Nudity]]
[[Category:Culture of India]]

Nudity in India - Revision history

Khorang at 01:43, 14 March 2026