The Sahariya community of Bundelkhand: One of India’s 75 “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” earlier known as primitive tribal groups – Bihar

Meet ‘Lady Wi-Fi’ and Other Super Inspiring Women of Rajasthan’s Sahariya Tribe Women of the Sahariya tribe in Rajasthan are making a mark for themselves and, in the process, enabling access to a better livelihood for others in their community. […] While no one can deny or disregard the sufferings of the tribe, there are … Read more

Video | Khasi musical heritage of Meghalaya – introduction

Watch a series of short videos portraits researched and filmed by Gayatri Indira Vijaysimha and Dev Narayan Chaudhuri (Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai): young and senior members of the Khasi community who enjoy music making for a variety of reasons. What unites them is a commitment, namely to provide future generations with access to … Read more

ePaper | The Kaani (Kani) community’s ethno-botanical knowledge of 300 medicinal herbs: Paper presented at the National Jackfruit Festival 2015 – Kerala

“Jackfruit and its value-added products have started stealing the show at various food festivals, thanks to the collective initiatives of peasants. However, the governments continue their habitual indifference to promoting this tropical fruit with immense nutritional value and market potential,” says Shree Padre, veteran agricultural journalist and editor of the Kannada agricultural magazine, Adike Patrika … Read more

eBook | River Narmada (Dehwali) – A story from Gujarat

There once lived a carpenter by the name Kaliya. Kaliya went to the forests in the Amarkantak hills to fetch wood. One day as he was felling wood, Kaliya felt thirsty. As he went looking for water, Kaliya wandered deep into the forest …

India’s tribal, folk and devotional music: Secular and ceremonial songs – An overview

“The great diversity of music in India is a direct manifestation of the diversity and fragmentation of the population in terms of race, religion, language, and other aspects of culture. Yet the distinction between tribal music and folk music is not always clearly defined.” – N.A. Jairazbhoy One of the earliest stringed instruments played with a … Read more