Two novels on West Ghat tribal cultural heritage: Changing perceptions of land and its ownership – Kerala & Tamil Nadu

Two novels that capture local history in English translationEach novel is written from a different angle, yet both chronicle the lives of people attached to their land and customs while facing the pressures imposed by mainstream society: one by male Malayalam writer ‘Narayan’ who hails from Kerala’s Malayarayar community; and the other by Rajam Krishnan … Read more

Dravidian migration, Sumerian linguistic and cultural affinities – Tamil Nadu

According to Prof Velupillay the Tamils can be defined as people having Tamil as their mother tongue. Tamil language is a member of the Dravidian family of languages. The name given to the family came from a very early reference in Regveda, where the Sanskrit word “Dravida” was used to refer to one of the … Read more

Video | Deowal Chitra & Alpana: Santal art reflecting “simplicity, honesty and a quiet vigour” – West Bengal

The Santhals, a proto-Austroloid racial group, is the largest tribe in West Bengal. Although they reside in several districts of West Bengal, Purulia District is one of the major areas where Santhals are found after Paschim Mednipur district. The primary occupation of Santhals is daily agricultural and manual labour. Santhal religion worships Marang Buru or … Read more

Film review of “Have you seen the Arana?”: Award winning documentary feature on Wayanad’s treasure trove of flora and fauna – Kerala

Online viewing: Trailer and more information >> Bikas Mishra writes about Sunanda Bhat’s documentary feature which won the John Abraham Award recently | Read the entire review here >> The Adiya people of Wayanad believe that their goddess has turned into the  lizard Arana. Earlier found everywhere, Arana is getting hard to spot nowadays. Filmmaker Sunanda Bhat uses the … Read more

Video | Interview with anthropologist Cristoph von Fürer-Haimendorf on the rapid transition into modernity by a previously untouched tribe: “Apatanis developed fast, not overrun by outsiders” – Assam

Source: “Interview of Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf by Alan Macfarlane, Part 1 of 3”URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV2aJLFU6_YDate Visited: 11 January 2023 “President Droupadi Murmu said that the high respect given to the women in the Naga society is demonstrated through the fact that the literacy rate among women in the state is higher than the national average, and … Read more