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Indian Maypole Dance
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Indian Maypole Dance
Indian Maypole Dance. A traditional English social custom, which seems to have been met with a sizeable lack of interest (!) by this group of Indian Children. Date: circa 1910s
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Media ID 7332210
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Bored Colonialism Custom Imported May Pole Rite Ritual Spring
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This intriguing photograph captures a moment of cultural intersection during the colonial era in India, circa 1910s. The image portrays a group of Indian children, seemingly bored and disinterested, gathered around an imported Maypole. The Maypole Dance, a traditional English social custom, is a lively springtime ritual that involves dancing around a tall, decorated pole. The presence of this custom in India during the colonial period is a reflection of the widespread influence of European culture on the Indian subcontinent. The British, who ruled India from 1858 to 1947, introduced numerous Western customs and traditions, which were often embraced by the Indian elite. However, the apathy displayed by these children towards the Maypole Dance suggests a more complex relationship between the imported custom and the local population. It is possible that the children saw the dance as a symbol of colonial rule and therefore chose to reject it. Alternatively, they may have simply found the dance unappealing or incompatible with their own cultural traditions. Despite the apparent lack of interest from the children, the Maypole Dance remained a popular custom in England and continued to be celebrated in various parts of India well into the 20th century. This photograph serves as a reminder of the complex and often contested cultural exchanges that took place during the colonial era, and the ways in which traditional customs were both adopted and resisted in the face of foreign influence.
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