So apparently pre-colonial Indian women just… wore saris without a blouse?? Midriff out, tiddies vibing, nobody cared?? Meanwhile our temples have 10% pure porn on the OUTSIDE WALLS where KIDS could see because kama was a legit life goal???
Then the Victorians showed up, saw all this, had a collective aneurysm, and said “obscene” is now a crime. Let the temples rot. Invented the blouse. Made us feel ashamed of our own ancestors.
“They did not simply colonize our country; they colonized the nipple.”
Anyway 90% of “modest Indian culture” is just Victorian missionaries gaslighting us for 200 years.
Full essay here if u wanna get mad: https://medium.com/@sayyida-noor/khajuraho-erotic-temples-victorian-blouse-colonial-shame-a93ef910c539
now go stare at a khajuraho carving and rethink everything 🗿
There is a funny story about the ladies just wearing saris.
A priest had gotten used to this over time, out of necessity not to alienate his flock. One day, he announced that the bishop would visit, and that he was not used to bare bosoms, and he asked the women to cover their breasts next Sunday.
So next Sunday, the bishop arrived in his car, and the priest saw that the women did not wear something on top. So he reminded them to cover up, please, now!
So they pulled up their short skirts over their breasts, revealing that they also did not wear underwear…