Audio & eBook | Kota music and “signs of indigeneity” in the Nilgiri Hills – Tamil Nadu

Listen to “Konjenetre bommeyetre mānte nōṭē” and other beautiful songs of the Kota community (with detailed explanations) on Kota God Song >> Richard K. Wolf (Harvard University) and Frank Heidemann (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) | Read the full introduction >> […] Many tribals also engage in activities that articulate tribal values in intra-community and … Read more

Infusing the Santhali Element in Schooling by Rina Mukherji

[…] “Santhal children are compelled to leave behind the culture they grew up in , whenever they go in for modern education and learning the rudiments of the three r’s. It results in their loss of confidence, and utter confusion as regards their identity. We felt it was important that they studied in the Santhali … Read more

Jaipal Singh and the Adivasi (Adibasi) movement of modern India: A gifted speaker from Chotanagpur – Jharkhand

The first report on minority rights, made public in late August 1947, provided for reservation for Untouchables only. Muslims were denied the right, which in the circumstances was to be expected. However, one member [of the Constituent Assembly of India] regretted that ‘the most needy, the most deserving group of adibasis [tribals] has been completely … Read more

Audio | Manasamangal song cycle of the snake goddess, Manasa: A tribal goddess appropriated into the Hindu pantheon – West Bengal & Bangladesh

To listen, find “Manasamangal” on the Travelling Archive website, then click the play button (“Listen to a song from this session”) Visit the Travelling Archive website for a larger map and to view more images. The four recordings in this session come from an ongoing project on Manasamangal or the Song Cycle of the Snake Goddess, Manasa, which we have … Read more

“The Toda Landscape: Explorations in cultural ecology”: Book on rapid changes and transformations | Tamil Nadu

Scholars, historians and anthropologists came together to felicitate Dr. Tarun Chhabra on his definitive work on the Toda tribe The 150 year old Nilgiri library witnessed the launch of a definitive volume, The Toda Landscape Explorations in cultural ecology. It is a labour of passion, by Dr. Tarun Chhabra, and is co-published by Orient Black … Read more