Crossword-Solution: NAUTCHES 8 letters, 2 clues 🏆 scrabble score: 13

These curious shoes are left at the door whilst their owners return to the hall and sit down along the walls on carpets and cushions to chew betel, smoke hookahs and cheroots, to listen to sacred reading, and to witness the dances of the nautches.

Kirkpatrick's receptions were the nautches, magnificently dressed, thanks to the generosity of the Resident.

Only the nautches--dancing girls consecrated to gods, and living in temples--can be said to be free and happy.

Besides these "godborn" priestesses of the pagodas, there are also public nautches, who, like the Egyptian almeas, are within the reach of ordinary mortals, not only of gods; they also are in most cases women of a certain culture.

Happily, this agony did not last long, and was replaced by the choral singing of Brahmans and nautches, which was very original, but perfectly bearable.