Tawaif, Thumri aur Tehzeeb: An Evening of Music & Conversations around the Courtesans

This June, DelhiByFoot returns with “Twilight in the City” - a summer series dedicated to exploring the city after sunset.

As Delhi slows down under the weight of June afternoons, the city quietly begins another life after sunset, cooler, softer, and filled with stories waiting to be heard. Through this series, we invite you to spend your evenings exploring the many worlds that come alive at night: history, music, memory, poetry and conversation. From twilight walks and cultural baithaks to immersive performances and storytelling sessions, each evening offers a different way of experiencing Delhi and the rich traditions that continue to shape it.

For our 4th event of the series, we explore the fascinating world of the Tawaifs—women who shaped Hindustani music, poetry, language and tehzeeb, yet were gradually erased from popular memory. Through stories, songs and conversations, we journey from the mehfils of Awadh and the legacy of Gauhar Jaan to the enduring courtesan of Indian cinema, rediscovering a cultural history that cannot be told without them.

Tawaif, Thumri aur Tehzeeb

A baithak that delves deep into the lives of Women wiped out of history, through their Stories and their Songs!

The Tawaifs were not merely medeival entertainers. They were cultural anchors of their time, shaping Hindustani music, refining language and etiquette, nurturing poetry, influencing courtly aesthetics, and participating in the social and political life of their world. Their mehfils were spaces of intellect, art and agency.

And yet, as India moved towards modernity and independence, much of the culture they helped build was absorbed into the national imagination — while the women themselves were erased.

This evening is an attempt to sit with that contradiction.

Through music, stories and discussions we will celebrate the cultural contributions of the connoisseurs of Indian art forms.

The evening will transition from the historical bazaars of Awadh with live musical renditions of thumri, to the recording legacy of Gauhar Jaan and the role of Tawaifs in India's independence, and then to the fictionalised courtesan in cinema: Pakeezah, Mughal-e-Azam, and the enduring figure of Umrao Jaan.

The baithak will be co-led by a historian and a musician.

Mariyam Siddiqui, guiding historical and cultural conversations, and Dr. Brahmanshi, a PhD in Hindustani Music, leading the musical renderings. Beginning her learning journey at the tender age of 6, she has been receiving training in Hindustani khayal music and thumri. Apart from musicological research and performance, she also teaches students and has a keen interest in the history of Hindustani music and its development over the years.

Come, join the baithak.

Let us remember — through story and song.

DAY DATE & TIME: Saturday 27th June 2026 || 5:30 PM Onwards

VENUE: 8ByTheLotus, 3rd floor,

8, Kailash Hills, East of Kailash

Note: The Venue is on 3rd floor with no elevator. The event will be indoors.

CHARGES: Rs.1200/- per person

*We discourage participants below the age of 10 from joining this event.

FOR QUERIES CALL: 9871181775

Note: By attending you agree to being filmed at the venue and content may be used for marketing purposes of Team TBT-DBF