The craft that created Mohenjo-daro’s iconic Dancing Girl is still alive in India today. Yet the tradition that has endured for 4,500 years could disappear within the next generation.
The bronze sculpture, known as the Dancing Girl, remains one of the most recognisable artefacts of the Indus Valley Civilisation. With one hand on her hip, hair tied in a bun, and 25 bangles stacked along her arms, the figure continues to fascinate people thousands of years after it was created.
Made around 2500 BCE, the sculpture was crafted by artisans of the Indus Valley Civilisation using the lost-wax casting technique — a metal-casting method so advanced that it still amazes researchers today.
What makes the story even more remarkable is that the same technique continues to be practised in parts of India.
A 4,500-year-old craft still practised today
Across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, Dhokra artisans continue to preserve the ancient art of lost-wax casting.
The process begins with a clay model. It is then decorated with intricate wax patterns before being coated with layers of earth. Molten metal is poured into the mould to create the final piece.
A defining feature of the craft is that every mould is broken after casting. As a result, no two pieces are ever the same.
Despite surviving thousands of years, empires, invasions and changing times, the craft now faces an uncertain future.
Low incomes, shrinking markets and little support are making it increasingly difficult for artisan families to continue the profession. As a result, many are leaving the craft behind.
The Dancing Girl has survived for 4,500 years. But the hands that have kept her story alive through generations of Dhokra craftsmanship may not survive another generation.
The future of this ancient tradition now rests on whether it receives the recognition and support needed to endure.
Sources:
‘Dancing Girl’ Of Mohenjo-Daro: Why The 4,500-Year-Old Bronze Icon Still Fascinates The World’ by Dristi Sharma, Published in NDTV on 16 June 2026.
‘CHAPTER 1 – The Dancing Girl’ by Balaji Sadasivan, Published on 21 October 2015.
‘Dhokra: Metal Casting and its Harappan Connection’: by Akshata Mokashi , Published on 26 February 2021.
‘NCERT’s new Art textbook covers up Mohenjodaro’s ‘Dancing Girl’’ by Ritika Chopra , Published on 16 June 2026
‘The Other Dancing Girl’ by Dr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer
‘’Dancing girl’s’ bare torso restored in Indian textbook after backlash’ by Cherylann Mollan
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com
