A richly textured debut novel on Santal customs: “The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey” – Jhar­khand

Manjul Bajaj, Outlook Magazine, 14 February 2014 | Read the full review here >> Witchcraft and tribal rituals loop through Santhal lives in a Jharkhand doctor’s richly textured debut novel. Hansda Sowendra Shekhar’s debut novel The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey is a loving and careful recounting of the Santhal way of life. Spanning several decades … Read more

Appreciation for conserving the traditional traits of seeds by tribal farmers: “Old Seed Festival 2014”: Sanjeevini Rural Development Society – Andhra Pradesh

The Hindu, VISAKHAPATNAM, April 28, 2014 Malivalasa village on Andhra-Odisha border stood first in conserving 203 varieties of old seed followed by Demuduvalasa with 197 varieties. The farmers were given agricultural implements worth Rs.70,000 on Sunday at the 10th Old Seed Festival organised at Malivalasa in Soova panchayat in Dumbriguda mandal of the district. Several tribal … Read more

Leisure time in a Santal village: A large mural created by village artists to express their cultural identity – West Bengal

Enjoying Palm Juice At the end of a village three Santal men sit under a Banyan tree and are happily drinking fermented juice of the tal, a commonly seen palm tree. In the summer, the men climb on the trees to collect the refreshing juice from the tree’s buds in earthen pots. A goat is … Read more

Special exhibition “Cadence and Counterpoint”: Documenting Musical Traditions of Santals at the National Museum New Delhi

This exhibition is a collaboration between the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, the Crafts Museum and the National Museum in New Delhi, with the support of the Swiss federal office of culture. – On show from 16 April 2015 to 17 May 2015 Collection Fosshag Crafts and visual arts Museum collections – India Museum Rietberg Zuerich Revival … Read more

Creator of stylized ornate statuettes to be played as instruments: Santal master craftsman Som Murmu – West Bengal

To read the full article or view more photos and video clips, click here >> Som Murmu, a 60 year old Santal cultivator and master craftsman from Birbhum, has been a wood carver for over forty years.  In his youth, he tried his hand working with various media including straw, bamboo, clay tiles, asbestos and … Read more