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

A legendary history: Hill tribes known from the Mahabharata days – Odisha

The state has the third largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. […] Prehistoric Acheulian tools dating to Lower Paleolithic era have been discovered in various places in the region, implying an early settlement by humans. Kalinga has been mentioned in ancient texts like Mahabharata, Vayu Purana and Mahagovinda Suttanta. The Sabar people of Odisha … Read more

Tip | Voices from the Periphery: A multidisciplinary book “reversing the gaze”: Questioning the fringes of India’s mainstream society

“It is wrong and does not help the tribal cause either to reduce the image of the Indian tribal society to that of destitute remnants, on the verge of dying out.” – Georg Pfeffer in Voices from the Periphery: Subalternity and Empowerment in India (Routledge India 2012) A rare collection of essays and different from most … Read more

Selected writings by anthropologist Verrier Elwin (1902-64)

The Oxford India Elwinby G.N. Devy (ed.) 440 Pages | 80 line illus. & photographsISBN: 9780195697919, Rs. 795From presenting Elwin’s work among the tribal peoples of central India, to affording glimpses of his seminal work on the unique institution of the ghotul among the Murias of Bastar, or relating Elwin’s attempts at understanding the high incidence of murder … Read more

Architectural marvels from different communities: Tribal Habitat, “a laboratory for various practical experiences” (National Museum of Mankind, IGRMS Bhopal) – Madhya Pradesh

This exhibitions includes the unique dwelling types of architectural marvels from different tribal communities from the Gangetic plains of Uttaranchal, lush green forest areas of North-east India, the arid region of western India, plateau region of central India, hilly tracts of eastern India, the Nilgiri (blue-mountain) tracts of South western India etc. Presently, there are … Read more