Dear Friends,

I'm struggling to transliterate some of the text in this image, which appears linked to the Śrī rāga. Though the Naṭa putra rāga is apparently assigned to the Megha rāga.

If some kind soul has the time and inclination to help, then I would surely appreciate it. It is only a few words. I'm guessing the language is a form of Rajasthani, or Marathi or Dekkani? The auction site at which the image is located has very little detail, except to say that is from the 1800s. It is interesting, to me, at least, due to the unusual practice of naming the performers of these various acts. Personally, I quite like the anti-gravitational necklace on the female pole dancer.

image.png

1. 
rāgā-śrī-naṭachai

2.

?? mahtraś(ra?)ūragnī-kare-chai / ?? gamaghtraśūtragatīchrai - kare -

The instruments used by the 'wrestler' are mentioned in similar artwork as:

mugdar -  a mace/club used in physical exercise 

 nāla - heavy stone-ring used in weight-lifting exercises

3. 

male pole dancer/wrestler-acrobat


4.

 दासी - dāsī - female dancer with parasol


5.

nāṭachaiṃ - drummer


6.

nāṭaka-līṃ / -ṇīṃ - female pole dancer



Thank you.


All the best,

Patrick McCartney, PhD
Phoenix Fellow 2023–26, HIroshima University, Japan
ISRF Fellow 2022–23 - Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Research Associate - Nanzan University Anthropological Institute, Nagoya, Japan
Visiting Fellow - South and South-east Asian Studies Department, Australian National University


Skype / Zoom - psdmccartney
Phone + Whatsapp + Line:  +61410644259
Twitter - @psdmccartney @yogascapesinjap

bodhapūrvam calema ;-)