Ok so before getting started with the main topic, I would like to name few personalities that you must have heard about :   Rani Lakshmibai , Tatya tope , Chandra Shekhar azad , Bhagat singh , yes well known freedom fighters  but have you heard about Azeezunbai , Mubarak begum, Adala , Hussaini?   The Answer is NO. The topic I will be discussing today is considered as Taboo in the Indian society. The names which I just recited were Known variously as tawaifs in the North, devadasis in the South, baijis in Bengal and naikins in Goa. These professional singers and dancers were compared with prostitutes in the late 19th century by Britishers. As a result, their contribution to India's classical arts was never recognized and their role in freedom fighting movements was sidelined.   In their glory days of Mughal era, the Tawaifs were at the centre of art and culture in India, proficient in both music and dance. They enjoyed wealth, power, prestige, political access, and we