But this year has been particularly difficult for them. They take pride in carrying forward the legacy of mujra performances, the dance of courtesans which originated in Mughal courts. All the women of this kotha are trained in the classical dances and music. Sonia is one of the courtesans, or ‘tawaif’ as she calls herself, who lives in ‘kotha 5217’, also known as Kashmiri building. The world’s oldest trade faces its toughest challenge from a 21st century pandemic and the end is nowhere in sight. The building used to heave to loud music, now it has fallen silent. Most women left for their native villages once the nationwide lockdown, announced to contain the spread of the virus, was imposed on March 25 only a handful have returned several months since. In Kashmiri building on Garstin Bastion Road (GB Road, now renamed Swami Shradhanand Marg) in New Delhi, business is listless in COVID-19 times. Sonia is not sure how many men will turn up today. Her make-up box containing brilliant shades of lipstick and an array of mascaras lies open in front of her. She is dressed in a nightgown and a mask.
and 45-year-old Sonia wonders how the evening will play out.
