Vijaya Mallya, The Kingfisher Calendar and the Position of Women

India is a country with an ancient civilization. Earlier, the Indian society was quite advanced and women were liberated to a certain extent. But with the arrival of the Muslims in the eighth and ninth centuries and the subsequent defeat of the local rulers, a primitive culture took hold. This included the purdah system and the Burkha. The result was that women were confined to the home or the harem.

This state of affairs continued for nearly 900 years until the advent of the Raj and British rule. During the British period, some liberalization took place and women began to leave their homes. The dawn of independence in 1947 was a further step in the liberation of women from the chains of their homes. Women ventured into the workplace and also started wearing dresses that left purdah behind.

Vijay Mallya, the Indian industrialist, has in his own way dealt a blow to the purdah system with his annual calendar. This consists of a group of beautiful girls in swimsuits. These photographs show the state Indian women have reached since the days of purdah, when it was anathema to show one’s body to a stranger. Each girl in a revealing swimsuit represents a month. The calendar shows cases of 12 girls like this and believe me there is a lot of competition to be one of the girls in this calendar.

The calendar itself, compared to some of the western showcases such as the Playboy calendar, is a tame affair. However, the publication is a blow in favor of the freedom of Indian women. The calendar has now become an annual event and many people in India are looking forward to it. The press also has something to celebrate.

This year the launching ceremony of the publication was a gala. It was launched in Mumbai with movie star Salman Khan as the main guest. Important characters graced the occasion. Movie star Deepika Padaukane was also on hand to bring color to the event.

The post alone doesn’t mean much. But it shows that India is changing. Vijay Mallya deserves credit for this release. Along with his Kingfisher brand, he has ensured that his name is still on everyone’s lips. He certainly deserves our quickest salute. The release of the calendar is seen in the light that the Indian woman remained covered from head to toe for centuries. that in itself is a gigantic change and we should be grateful that there are people who want to break purdah and burkha.