Category Archives: Performing arts

“Culture nourishes itself from nature / Without nature, culture cannot exist / without culture, a society cannot” – Vayali Folklore Group’s motto on its journey: “learning the traditional/local Knowledge systems practiced in and around the banks of River Nila (Bharatha Puzha) and share/impart the same to the young generation” through folk art dance performance.
http://www.vayali.org
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=1972

“Many of the tribes have two distinct types of music, the ‘outdoor’ ensemble, which is often performed by members of a different tribe or a Hindu caste, and their own characteristic tribal songs. The outdoor ensemble is used at weddings and on festive occasions. It varies in size and structure, depending to some extent on the affluence of the tribe. The main instruments are the double-reed oboe-type, a straight, curved, or S-shaped horn, a variety of drums – kettle-shaped, cylindrical, or frame drums similar to the tambourine – and cymbals.” – NA Jairazbhoy in A Cultural History of India (Oxford University Press, 1975, Chapter XVI “Tribal, Folk and Devotional Music”), pp. 212-242
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=3488

“Economic deprivation, degradation of land and the temptations of urban culture have led to large scale migration of tribals to greener pastures. The ones who are left behind have far more pressing problems to attend to, than that of the survival of a dance form that hardly anyone understands or appreciates.” – Amitabh Ghosh of The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation in Jamshedpur, quoted in “The disappearing steps of tribal dance” (The Deccan Herald, 22 October 2011)
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/199806/disappearing-steps-tribal-dance.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=5383

“The performers of the Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture should continually upgrade their creative flair and operational skill so that they themselves can play a proactive role in bolstering the foundation and ensuring the sustainability of Tribal /Folks Arts and Culture. They should adopt a proactive stance in carrying the rich cultural legacy of India and proceed forward in pursuit of functional excellence.” – Final Report, Evaluation Study of Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
http://planningcommission.gov.in/reports/sereport/ser/ser_folk2211.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=29938

Tip | Find new and old publications on Indian tribal culture on worldcat.org

Posted on 27/05/2021 by website administrator

Several indigenous authors—Easterine Kire, Jacinta Kerketta, Dolly Kikon, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Temsüla Ao, Joy Pachuau, Senganglu Thaimei, Gladson Dungdung, Veio Pou, Kham Khan Suan Hausing, Ngamjahao Kipgen, Hoineilhing Sitlhou and many more—are writing stories foregrounding their perspectives, concepts, and theories … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Dress and ornaments, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, History, Libraries, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Music and dance, Organizations, Performing arts, Resources, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Social conventions, Tips, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on Tip | Find new and old publications on Indian tribal culture on worldcat.org

A living martial art-based dance form: The practice of Firkal in a remote Bhumij tribal village of Chotanagpur – Jharkhand

Posted on 14/05/2021 by website administrator

Firkal is an unusual name for a dance form. Many scholars of Indian dance as well as social anthropologists have not heard of it, far less seen it being performed. […] Older than Kalaripayattu, and even those martial art forms … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Community facilities, Customs, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Games and leisure time, Modernity, Names and communities, Organizations, Performing arts, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rural poverty, Tourism, Tribal culture worldwide | Tagged | Comments Off on A living martial art-based dance form: The practice of Firkal in a remote Bhumij tribal village of Chotanagpur – Jharkhand

Pulayar community – Kerala, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu

Posted on 07/05/2021 by website administrator

The Pulayar, also Pulaya, or Pulayas or Holeya or Cheramar, are one of the main social groups found in Kerala, Karnataka and in historical Tamil Nadu or Tamilakam Traditions Their marriage rituals were described by Edgar Thurston. Nowadays many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Assimilation, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Customs, Names and communities, Performing arts, Quotes, Southern region – Southern Zonal Council, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Pulayar community – Kerala, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu

Tagore’s Santiniketan, “an Abode of Learning Unlike Any in the World” – West Bengal

Posted on 07/05/2021 by website administrator

Sanchari Pal, The Better India, August 31, 2016 | To read the full story and view more photos in high resolution, click here >> Located about 158 km northwest of Kolkata in Bengal’s rural hinterland, Santiniketan embodies Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood and children, Community facilities, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Globalization, History, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Social conventions, Success story, Tagore and rural culture | Tagged | Comments Off on Tagore’s Santiniketan, “an Abode of Learning Unlike Any in the World” – West Bengal

Video | Women’s dance to the rhythmic sound of bamboo: “Lebang Boomani” of the Kolai community – Tripura

Posted on 17/04/2021 by website administrator

During the month of Karthik and Agrahayana, when the crop is harvested tribal women use to spent their leisure hours by making handloom cloths. The very colourful attires of Tribal women are Rignai and Risa. The women wear Rignai at … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Government of India, Performing arts, Quotes, Tips, Video resources - external, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on Video | Women’s dance to the rhythmic sound of bamboo: “Lebang Boomani” of the Kolai community – Tripura