“Our boys and girls get an opportunity to set their eyes upon each other during the dance of the Dandari. They also get to interact a little before they can mutually agree to take the matter to the next step. […] As per our customs and traditions the youngsters enjoy liberty in many aspects. It is rare that a selection made during the Dandari-Ghusadi [dance festival] phase gets cancelled.” – Patel of Bandeyer Atram Sone Rao (Telangana), quoted in “Adivasis dance their way to a girl’s heart” (The Hindu, 29 October 2016)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/Adivasis-dance-their-way-to-a-girl’s-heart/article16085049.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22436
[…] “Arunachal Pradesh being a multi-tribes state is very rich in folk songs, music and dances. However, the resonance of folk music and such performances are diminishing owing to the adoption of modern culture into our everyday life,” the deputy chief minister said. The decision to organise the festival has been taken to revive the … Read more
Santali is one of India’s many Adivasi languages. Today, seven different alphabets are used to write in it. Some argue that this great variety does not help the community’s development. | Read the full article by Boro Baski (3,3 MB) >> Among South Asian Adivasis, we are the largest homogenous group. More than 10 million … Read more
Formed as an NGO, with an aim to preserve traditional culture and folkore along the banks of the Bharathapuzha in Kerala. Today, Vayali is one of the foremost exponents of folk songs and art, with over 600 performances in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Bombay and various other locations. It also supports traditional artisans in the region … Read more
A documentary by Nandini Bedi (C) edited for the Stichting Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation in February 2011. | Learn more and watch a series of videos >>
Places like Kerala where there were numerous sacred groves and related culture, are ecologically disturbed now due to ill conceived developments chartered out by those who did not have any knowledge or concern about nature/ecology. Modernists could not understand the natural significance of the numerous rituals and myths. The tribal communities had their own thoughts … Read more