Mirasins and their Performances

in Image Gallery
Published on: 18 June 2018

Photo Credit: Joy Banerjee, Captions: Ainee Farooqui

Ainee is pursuing M.Phil in Modern Indian History from University of Delhi. Her research deals with school history textbooks produced after Independence. She is attempting to study textbooks as devices of publicity, performative nationalism, and pedagogy.

 

This photo documentation tries to capture the acts and performances of Mirasins.  In the first three photographs they can be seen performing in the house of one of the taluqdars. Though a big enough diwan was placed in the room, they sat down on the carpet to sing. It is customary for mirasins to sit at a lower level than their patrons. In the fourth and the fifth photograph the mirasins can be seen singing in their home. The child is clapping along the beats and will gradually learn the art without any ‘formal’ training. A qawwal, brother of one of the mirasins, is on the tabla.