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In the nine years of his reign, soon after he built his
own palace at Qaiserbagh, Wajid Ali Shah made Lucknow a cultural centre.
He staged the magnificent rahas (musicals) in a state-of-art theatre
called Baradari. His dramas on Krishna’s love life were full of intense
poetry. His own compositions were written under the pen-name
‘Akhtarpiya’. In dazzling Kathak performances, two of his favourite
wives, Yasmin Pari and Hur Pari, often played the leading roles of
milkmaids. (‘Debauchery, dissipation and low pursuits’ by Nidhi Dugar Kundalia, The Hindu, June 4, 2017) |
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One of Wajid Ali Shah’s biggest contributions was the
development of Pari Khana, a school for music and dance. In his book
Musammi Ba Banni, Shah recorded that 180 female artists were employed in
Pari Khana and were taught by instructors in a space heavily fortified
by female sentinels skilled in martial arts and weapons. The central
hall of the school, decorated with chandeliers, hosted famous musicians
and dance masters such as Thakur Prasad and the Kalka-Binda brothers. (‘Debauchery, dissipation and low pursuits’ by Nidhi Dugar Kundalia, The Hindu, June 4, 2017) |
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 (Courtesy ‘Dances of the world on postage stamps,’ Alkis Raftis) |
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