Mona Ahmed, dancer and LGBTQ icon, passes away aged 81

Mona Ahmed, dancer and LGBTQ icon, breathed her last at her Delhi residence on 9 September. Ahmed had been photographer Dayanita Singh’s muse.

According to India Today , the 81-year-old passed away while video calling with the photographer from her house in the Mehndiyan graveyard in the older part of Delhi.

For Singh, she was more than just a muse. In a statement given to The Indian Express , the acclaimed photographer says that Mona was one of the most eccentric people she had met and was family to her. The dancer shot to fame after featuring in Singh’s book, Myself Mona Ahmed, which was published in 2001 and gave important insights into the life of a transgender.

She had been living with her caretaker, Jahanara, in their Delhi home which has served as home to many others. According to the same  Indian Express report, Mona had slipped into depression after her guru, Chaman, passed away in May. Jahanara also told the publication that Mona lived a dual life — she would wear kurta pajama when out in public and often felt like she did not fit anywhere. Therefore, she decided to live in a graveyard.

Buried next to her guru, her burial was attended by over 100 transgenders.