Toda cultural heritage and education: Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

A visit to the Toda hamlet known as Taranadmund near Ooty makes it clear that for the Toda community, cultural heritage is part of everyday life and worship. The local economy continues to involve buffalo rearing. The breathtaking Nilgiris are home to a number of indigenous tribes, one of which is Toda. Unfortunately, the once … Read more

Adivasis’ profound influence on modern Indian art: “The Triumph of Modernism” by Partha Mitter

Primitivism in modern Indian art drew on adibasis. […] At Santiniketan, art was to be an integral part of an all-rounded education; Tagore had long considered Abanindranath’s pupil Nandalal [Bose] the best person to give this shape. The triumph of modernism: India’s artists and the avant-garde, 1922-1947 by Partha Mitter (New Delhi, Oxford Unitversity Press, 2007), p. 79 … Read more

Mahatma Gandhi on industrialism and his appeal to capitalists of India to become “trustees to the welfare of the masses” – Young India 1928

GOD FORBID that India should ever take to industrialism after the manner of the West. The economic imperialism of a single tiny island kingdom (England) is today keeping the world in chains. If an entire nation of 300 millions took to similar economic exploitation, it would strip the world bare like locusts. Unless the capitalists … Read more

Selected writings by anthropologist Verrier Elwin (1902-64)

The Oxford India Elwinby G.N. Devy (ed.) 440 Pages | 80 line illus. & photographsISBN: 9780195697919, Rs. 795From presenting Elwin’s work among the tribal peoples of central India, to affording glimpses of his seminal work on the unique institution of the ghotul among the Murias of Bastar, or relating Elwin’s attempts at understanding the high incidence of murder … Read more

Tribal arts and crafts: Compendium of Indian handicrafts & handlooms covered under geographical indications

Geographical Indications (GI) The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999 (the Act) provide for registration of Handicrafts (& Handlooms) as Geographical indications (GI). Handicraft (& Handlooms) is covered under Section 2(f) of the Act which states that “goods” means any agricultural, natural or manufactured goods or any goods of handicraft (& Handlooms) … Read more