“Having grown up within the largely oral Khasi community in Meghalaya, whose creative expressions mainly comprised song and “iathoh khana” (storytelling), it puzzled me that, in none of the canonical creative writing textbooks, had I come across a discussion on the influences of oral storytelling on craft.” – Janice Pariat in “Decolonising creative writing: It’s about not conforming to techniques of the western canon” (Scroll.in, 4 July 2021)
https://scroll.in/article/999215/decolonising-creative-writing-its-about-not-conforming-to-techniques-of-the-western-canon
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=3382
Lokaratna is a refereed e-journal of the Folklore Foundation, Bhubaneswar, Odisha in India. The purpose of the journal is to explore the rich cultural tradition of Odisha for a wider readership as well as to explore the global cultural understanding through this effort. Any scholar across the globe interested in contributing on any aspect of … Read more
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
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
Start your musical journey by watching a beautiful video taken in Shillong (Meghalaya). Then discover which other forms of music and dance are being practiced by the tribal communities of the “Seven Sister States” today. Khasi music revival – the stories of two young duitara players from Indian Tribal Heritage on Vimeo. Media contents is easy to find, especially with the help … Read more
A Tamil couplet from Kannappar Kuravanji of Thozuvoor Markanda Naavalar I meditate on the divine forces of the wilderness, to whom the forest rituals are offered. O Mannaru Saami, O Mother Maari, Chamundi, Irulan, Sangile Karuppan – Your though delights me. Quoted from Pidhana – The Canopy of Life (Chennai, 2014, ISBN: 978-81-921627-3-7). This richly illustrated publication tells the story of the … Read more