“Within villages around Dang [Gujarat], traditional instruments and artists are waning. Cultural music and dance forms among the adivasis have evolved over centuries. Beautified by elements and nuances of their surroundings, these forms depict their very lifestyles. Played for hours together in the same tempo, music is an integral part of celebrations and mourning. […] Each instrument has a purpose and belief related to it.” – Ashleshaa Khurana in “The ailing art of adivasi music” (Times of India, 30 January 2014)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=13780
Marriage Reception A Santal marriage takes five days and involves various, often complex, rituals. On the day of the Gidi-chumara (Marriage Reception) the women arrive to bless the bride and groom with grass and grains of rice which are kept in a basket. The high wooden turmeric crusher called akhur (on the right) indicates that … Read more
Lyrics and concept by Dr. Boro Baski | Subtitles by Sunder Manoj Hembrom >> It was during the summer time and the season of Santal marriage as well. Bạriạtko, the companions of the bridegroom have arrived in the bustling village of Pahaṛpur. Today is the third day of the marriage and Giḍi-chumạṛa, the bride and … Read more
The Jeebon Roy Memorial Creative Arts Akademi has its origins in the Seng Khasi movement which began as a challenge to British domination and now counters the growing influence of western popular music by promoting the region’s cultural heritage. The universal rules of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ writing are turning out to be colonial relics. […] Having … Read more
Bhagoriya is a well known dance of the Bhils, a large tribe of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh. The dance is associated with a festival known as `bhagoria’ and a fair called bhagoriya haat. The tribal unwed boys and girls prepare for this fest that serves the purpose of marriage bureaux by establishing link between … Read more
The Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya Trust (VBVT) is a community-based organisation working with the Bettakurumba, Kattunayakan, Mullakurumba, and Paniya Adivasi communities of the Gudalur valley in Tamil Nadu. All four communities are recognised by the Government of India as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), reflecting both the depth of their Indigenous heritage and the systemic disadvantages … Read more