Most of the well-bred Indian women I know or have met have lovely feet. And it’s a gift in disguise for a bloke like me that female feet are on show for most of the year, thanks to the kind of climate we have. Also, I’ve observed that modern Indian women are inherently good at flaunting their mouth-watering feet (God bless them all!). Further, they carry off the accessories (read ‘garnishing’) as only they can. Anklets, toe-rings, blazes of henna tattoos; you name it! I call it the ‘Oomph facTOEr’.
Foot adornment by women has always been an intrinsic part of the Indian culture. The use of Henna in the 4th-5th centuries in the Deccan region of western India is clearly illustrated on Bodhisattvas and deities of cave-wall murals at Ajanta, and in similar cave paintings in Sri Lanka. The evidence proves henna usage in India seven centuries before the Moghul invasion, and hundreds of years before the inception of the Islamic religion, which began in the mid-7th century AD. Mehndi is an ancient Indian art form which has been performed for generations in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, etc., but has recently been popularized by American celebrities (e.g. pop-music icon Madonna's ‘Ray of Light’ music video).
Any foot-lover would surely appreciate the fact that foot adornment by Indian women does not limit itself to being a mere cultural imperative. It definitely exudes erotic undertones and is a metaphor for feminity. During the Vedic times, Sanskrit texts laid down the concept of Solah Shringaar or the sixteen traditional accoutrements with which every woman could adorn herself. These were carefully laid down for every part of body. Used to pay homage to the body, this ensemble was essential to the Indian woman, whose duty it was to appear alluring to her lover. Toe rings are included in these sixteen accoutrements along with anklets. Incidentally, both have become a fashion statement in the West in recent times.
Even the ancient Indian love-treatise Kama Sutra, “widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behaviour” [Wikipedia], stresses the importance of feet in love-play. Here goes!
“When lovers, with legs stretched rigid
and feet caressing feet,
make love according to their hearts' desire,
’tantra’ scholars call it ‘Sampada’ (Equal Feet)
and agree it is a way to ecstasy.”
Source: The Love Teachings of Kama Sutra by Vatasyayana
(Translated by Indra Sinha)
And if that were not enough, here’s another ode to the female foot by some ancient playwright:
"Hail
to that foot of the lusty beloved
which hits the head of the lover, that foot which
is adorned with red paste and jingling anklets
is the banner of love and which is worthy
of adoration by inclining one's head."
-- From the 5th century drama, Padataditakam (Hit
by the Foot)
Just have a look at this reproduction of a miniature painting. An Indian prince is deeply engrossed in cleaning his beloved’s feet. He holds a cleansing cake – possibly a blend of saffron, sandalwood, aromatic oils, mineral and herbal ingredients. Enjoying the attention, she relaxes against a soft cushion.
- Bilaspur, Pahari
Late 18th century
It is said that Cinema mirrors the popular culture of a peoples. Well, if this is indeed the case, it should prove my point quite well. If you are a film buff, you’ll know that Hindi movies abound in foot-worship scenes. Who can forget the ultimate tribute to female feet when Raj Kumar says to Meena Kumari in Pakeezah [1972], “Aap ke paoN dekhe, bahut haseen haiN. InheN zameen par mat utaariyega, maile ho jaayenge (I saw your feet. They are extremely beautiful. Don’t lower them to the ground, they’ll get soiled).” I only hope that the poetry of these romantic words did not get lost in my translation. There was another old Hindi film (I forgot its name) in which a suave Rahman takes a courtesan’s bare foot in his hand and swears by it (Tumhaare haseen pairoN ki qasam…). Here are a few other notable examples:-
Ganwaar [1970]: Rajendra Kumar lies on his back in the grass and puts on anklets on Vyjayanthmala’s feet with her standing barefoot on his chest. Some sense of eroticism, I must say!
Gora Aur Kala [1972]: A sleeping Hema Malini’s soles are licked hungrily by… none other than Rajendra Kumar (the gentleman sure seemed to have a flair for it).
Utsav [1984]: Soap is liked off Rekha’s feet by Shekhar Suman.
Aastha [1997]: Rekha has her toes sucked at by Navin Nishchol.
Kama Sutra [1996]: Rasa Devi, the teacher of Kama Sutra (Rekha once again) tells her young female students the importance of their feet in love-play.
I suppose that filmmakers in South India are more obsessed with female feet than their Mumbaiya counterparts. If you don’t believe me, just follow the URL http://themousepad.yuku.com/topic/37086 and see for yourself; and remember, none of these films is a fetish movie or a B- or C-Grade flick. They are all mainstream movies.
