NCERT clothes up Indus Valley's iconic Dancing Girl in textbook

New Delhi: A digitally altered image of the famous Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro has appeared in NCERT’s newly released Class 9 arts textbook, triggering debate over the depiction of one of the most iconic artefacts of the Indus Valley Civilisation, Siasat reported.

The bronze figurine, estimated to be around 4,500 years old, has been featured in Indian school textbooks for nearly three decades in its original form. In the new textbook, titled *Madhurima*, the figure’s torso has been darkened, creating the appearance of clothing and obscuring anatomical details visible in the original artefact.

The Dancing Girl, a 10.5-centimetre bronze statuette adorned only with bangles and a necklace, has been housed at the National Museum in New Delhi since Partition and is regarded as a significant example of ancient Indian art. The modified image appears in the opening chapter of the new arts education textbook introduced under the National Education Policy.

NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said there was no specific explanation for the change. Officials indicated that the issue had been referred to the textbook development team and pointed out that the same figurine continues to appear in its original form in the Class 6 Social Science textbook.

The controversy has revived discussion around a similar episode in 2023, when a life-sized replica of the Dancing Girl, unveiled as the mascot of the International Museum Expo, was criticised for being depicted with clothing.

Historian Michel Danino had earlier disclosed that concerns had been raised over the figurine’s nudity during the preparation of NCERT textbooks, according to The Indian Express. He argued against restricting the image and eventually agreed to reduce its prominence in educational material rather than remove it entirely.