Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro

Why in News?

Recently, NCERT restored the original image of the Dancing Girl in the Class 9 Arts Education textbook, after controversy over a retouched version.

• The Dancing Girl figurine has long been a defining symbol of the Indus Valley Civilisation (Harappan Civilisation and is displayed in the National Museum, New Delhi.

Indus Valley Civilisation – 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE.

• Discovered in – 1926, by archaeologist Ernest McKay at Mohenjo‑daro (Sindh, Pakistan).
• Age – Over 4,500 years old, belonging to the Harappan period.
• Material – Bronze.
• Technique – Made using Lost‑wax casting technique, proving that ancient Harappans possessed intricate metal-blending and casting capabilities.
• Dimensions – Height 10.5 cm.
• Appearance – Nude female figure with hair tied in a bun, adorned with bangles, bracelet, and necklace.

• Symbolic Value – Considered evidence of high art in Harappan society.
• Interpretations – Some historians view her as a dancer; others suggest she may represent a woman with an offering.

Mohenjo‑daro

• Timeline – 1^st major Indus Valley urban centre, Built around 2500 BCE,

Mohenjo‑daro means Mound of the Dead.

• Discovery – Excavated in 1922, showing advanced civic and cultural life.
• River - Mohenjo-daro was built on the fertile right bank of the Indus River.
• City Features – Baked brick houses, public baths, granary, wells, soak pits, drainage system.
• Organization – Evidence of strong civic, economic, social, and cultural systems.
• Structure –
  • Citadel (West) – Buddhist stupa built in 2nd century AD.
  • Lower City (East) – Grid‑pattern streets with sanitation and drainage.
• UNESCO Status – World Heritage Site in Sindh, Pakistan.
• Significant Indus Valley artefacts – Pashupati seal, bearded priest, terracotta figurines.

References

1. Indian Express | Dancing Girl
2. UNESCO | Mohenjo-daro