'Dancing girl's' bare torso restored in Indian textbook after backlash

Article excerpt

A school textbook in India has restored the bare torso of a famous ancient figurine after public outcry over censorship. The image, known as the 'Dancing Girl' from the Indus Valley Civilization, had been digitally altered with dark shading to cover the sculpture's exposed chest, a modification that sparked complaints from educators, historians, and cultural advocates who viewed it as inappropriate self-censorship of an important archaeological artifact. The decision to reverse the alteration reflects tensions between efforts to align educational materials with conservative social values and arguments that historical accuracy and artistic integrity should be preserved in academic contexts.