Absence of a dowry-system, divorce by mutual consent, and widow-re-marriage: On the high status of women in Badaga communities (Nilgiri) – Tamil Nadu

The Badagas are a unique community living mainly in the Nilgiris District in Tamil nadu in South India. They are also the single largest community of the Nilgiris. Though classified backward, a significant factor is the high status of their women says Indu K Malla, a Badaga writer of distinction, in her article ” The myth … Read more

Stories behind the masks – Santhal scroll depicting a VIP visit

An exhibition in New Delhi that gives a glimpse of diverse storytelling traditions in India. IGNCA lay enveloped in an eerie silence during the mega cultural festival held during the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in the Capital. Security issues are believed to have spoilt the party. However, with ‘Akhyan’, an exhaustive month-long event put together by SNA and … Read more

The depiction of Santal culture in modern art: Jamini Roy (National Gallery of Modern Art) – New Delhi

Jamini Roy was one of the earliest and most significant modernists of twentieth century Indian art. From 1920 onwards his search for the essence of form led him to experiment with dramatically different visual style. His career spanning over nearly six decades had many significant turning points and his works collectively speak of the nature … Read more

Jamini Roy’s Santal Drummers

Two sought after paintings by Rabindranath Tagore which the British collector, W.G. Archer, acquired while working in pre-independence India as a civil servant, are being offered for sale in London. […] Another five paintings by Jamini Roy (1887-1972), with reserve prices of up to £12,000 (Rs 9.5 lakh), from Archer’s extensive collection are also included … Read more

Gojri one of the richest languages in terms of modern and traditional literature – Jammu and Kashmir

Gojri belongs to the central group of the Indo-Aryan language family and is closely related to Mewati, a language spoken in north eastern Rajasthan. Gojri is spoken in northern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, and the former state of Jammu and Kashmir (Azad Kashmir and Indian Administered Kashmir). Most of the Gujars who settled in the plains … Read more