The Lost Heer Project Is A Glimpse Into The Colonial History Of Punjabi Women

The Lost Heer Project

The impact of the British colonisation, undoubtedly, has left a deep imprint on modern India. In the food we eat, the structures we live in, and the ideas we think of, there exists an undertone of what the British left us as.

The state of Punjab holds an immense amount of history relevant not just to the British Raj, but to the partition, as well. From the lives and brutal deaths of women to the reminiscent names of villages; Punjab’s history over decades is rich.

The Lost Heer Project is an Instagram collective that is ‘tracking the stories of women from colonial Punjab’ (1849-1947). Founder Harleen Singh has creatively, yet meaningfully, curated several moments in time that defined the period; showcasing how feminine voices existed then.

Painted by Horan van Ruisen in 1880, this part of an artwork is of an Amritsari woman and reflects the clothing manner and use of jewellery of the time.

Image Courtesy: The Lost Heer Project via Victoria and Albert Museum

Here, we see women seated at the Parkarma (a reference to the perimeter of the holy body) of the Golden Temple in 1890.

Image Courtesy: The Lost Heer Project via Peter Bance Collection

A British cigarette card series featured ‘types of Indian women’. Here is their depiction of ‘Punjabi Mussalmans’.

Image Courtesy: The Lost Heer Project

Sehti Murad is a 1941 Punjabi film directed by Barkat Mehra. The poster and film starred ‘Miss Ragini of Lahore’.

Image Courtesy: The Lost Heer Project

Artist Amrita Shergill passed away in 1941 at the age of 28. This is a poster of her posthumous art exhibition in Lahore.

Image Courtesy: The Lost Heer Project via British Library

Female members of the Punjab Muslim League were arrested for performing civil disobedience against the Punjab government. This is a picture of them as they were released from jail.