“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
On the sidelines of the “Adi Bimb” festival, NSD Chairman Ratan Thiyam speaks of the need to appreciate and emulate the wisdom of tribal people. The National School of Drama organised a Festival of Tribal Music, Dance and Theatre, titled “Adi Bimb”, at Dwaronda village, near Santiniketan in the District of Birbhum in West Bengal … Read more
Wayanad song © Kanavu music group founded by K.J. BabyTravel photographs of Wayanad region and Kanavu centre © Ludwig Pesch Kanavu is an alternative school/commune in Cheengode in Nadavayal village, Wayanad district, Kerala, India, set up by writer, activist and film director K. J. Baby. The school’s activities include performances of traditional plays and music, … Read more
Dhodia Adivasis are spread across Gujarat and Maharashtra. They have songs for all occasions: birth, death, marriage, harvest and festivals. Their main musical instrument is the Toor. They have a rich repertoire of stories of human, animals and birds, tales of wit and cleverness, historical stories, mythical and magical tales, stories of origin, legends and … Read more
Once there lived an old woman. One day the woman sat before the fire, preparing rotlas. A mouse passed by the hedge outside. As it rushed by, a thorn stuck in its legs. The mouse came slowly inside the house to the old woman and said, “Oh Grandmother, a thorn has stuck in my leg … Read more
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