India’s tribal, folk and devotional music: Secular and ceremonial songs – An overview

“The great diversity of music in India is a direct manifestation of the diversity and fragmentation of the population in terms of race, religion, language, and other aspects of culture. Yet the distinction between tribal music and folk music is not always clearly defined.” – N.A. Jairazbhoy To illustrate the above observation, namely “The distinction between … Read more

Video | Khasi musical heritage of Meghalaya – introduction

Watch a series of short videos portraits researched and filmed by Gayatri Indira Vijaysimha and Dev Narayan Chaudhuri (Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai): young and senior members of the Khasi community who enjoy music making for a variety of reasons. What unites them is a commitment, namely to provide future generations with access to … Read more

eJournal | “Where the mind is without fear”: Tagore, Gitanjali and the Nobel Prize

Where the mind is without fear (Bengali: চিত্ত যেথা ভয়শূন্য, romanized: Chitto Jetha Bhoyshunno, is a poem written by 1913 Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore before India’s independence. It represents Tagore’s vision of a new and awakened India. The original poem was published in 1910 and was included in the 1910 collection Gitanjali and, in Tagore’s … Read more

Documentation of tribal music of India by Bhasha and Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh – Gujarat

VADODARA: Now, you will be able to peep into the life of tribals and even hum some of their songs. The Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (BRPC), which has taken up a project for documentation of tribal music of India, has begun from Gujarat. […] The CD and the book – ‘Adivasi Adim Sangeet’ were … Read more

Learn more about tribal communities in Rajasthan

THE BHILS OF RAJASTHANIn Rajasthan, certain cities are named after the Bhil Kings who once ruled the region. Kota, for instance got its name from Kotya Bhil; Bansara is derived from Bansiya Bhil; and Dungarpur is named after Dungariya Bhil. This website focuses on the Bhils who live in the villages of Choti Undri and … Read more