Worship & rituals

“Bomman thatha told me that our gods live in stones, big rocks and trees. We won’t cut aal maram (Ficus religiosa) because gods will be in that tree. Even the water in the area around the tree should be used neatly and not destroyed. In our community our god Ajji (grandmother) lives in Ellamalai mountain. She is also called Thrithri Eributham. […] Before fishing or taking tubers, we will pray to god and only then we will take it.” – Wildlife conservationist Ramesh in “Bomman thatha and his forest”, a conversation with his grandfather on “bonding between adivasi people and the forest” (At the Edge of Existence, 29 October 2014)
https://cultureandconservation.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/bomman-thatha-and-his-forest/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=8262

Book on the distinctive ear ornaments of the northeastern “Seven Sister States”: Proudly worn by women and men – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura

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Read the full article by Dr. Waltraud Ganguly titled “Earrings in India”:https://asianart.com/articles/ganguly/17a.html Earrings have a special status in Indian jewellery; they are highly decorative and beautify the face. Moreover, they are a sign of identification for their wearers or for a geographic region. These signs of identity and social status are mostly given up in urban … Read more

Santal historian Sumit Soren in conversation with Dr. Daniel Rycroft – Jharkhand

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30th June is a red letter day for Santhals, 158 years ago [in 2013], on this day the Santhals of Damin-i-koh declared an open rebellion against tyranny and corruption.  It is a special day for all freedom loving people of the World, as the message of the Great Rebellion still echoes in the hearts and … Read more

Accommodative politics and a remarkably high voter turnout: A model that can be emulated in other States – Mizoram

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[…] Mizoram has just finished polling in its latest round of Assembly elections with a very high voter turnout of 81.19 per cent. How did a decidedly secessionist State turn from the insurgent path towards accepting a place in the Indian Union, and what form of politics developed after the end of the insurgency? Accommodative … Read more

Tip | Explore tribal culture in a larger context: A society in search of “a vision for itself that is morally defensible”

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This website is being maintained with the motto “Showcasing new initiatives in education“. To catch up with “what’s going on in today’s India”, suffice a few pointers to discussions in today’s India. Appreciating “tribal” or “Adivasi” traditions will shed new light on India’s cultural heritage in general. The challenge here is the fact that each tradition … Read more

Western India’s cotton-growing and -dyeing technologies traced to Indus Valley civilization – Western region

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The western region consists of the desert states of Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and western Madhya Pradesh. […] The region is home to a wide variety of people with different religions and cultures, most of whom have distinctive traditional textiles. They include Jains, Parsis, Hindus and Muslims, as well … Read more