Arts & Culture
For centuries, India has absorbed many cultural influences. From the Mongols to McDonalds, India has adopted and incorporated external culture into its own social fabric. Yet today, globalization is having a profound impact on India. Many of India’s famed artisans are being expelled from their workspaces by development projects. And as with cultures around the globe, much of India–young and old–is turning away from traditional culture in the face of global products. In this section, India Unheard community correspondents report on arts and culture.
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Mourning in Mount Abu: Garasia Tribe | Living Cultures – Episode 2
The Garasia tribe believe that their God clawed out a lake in the mountain with his fingernails. The oldest inhabitants of Mount Abu immerse fingernails of their deceased loved ones in the Nakki Lake. The Garasia tribe is one of the most colourful and culturally rich communities in the desert...
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Needle Workers in Kashmir Bearing the Brunt: Demands Increase in Pay.
In Kashmir, Needle workers are selling their shawls at half of its worth. Lack of market and role of middlemen, forcing them to work for meager pay.
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Can a Thread Tie Modernisation and Tradition Together?
As more and more communities become ‘modern’, a civilisation as old as India runs the risk of losing its age-old cultures. Is there a way for societies to progress without getting stuck in the past?
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Reviving the Rabab, a Traditional Instrument from the Kashmir Valley
At a time when the popularity of Western music is on the rise in Kashmir, music lovers and artists are ensuring the revival of the rabab, one of the oldest musical instruments adopted by Kashmiris.
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Traditional Crafts of Goa: Weaving a Story of Progress
Lavo Mandri is a traditional art of weaving mats from Goa. Once almost extinct, Banglanatak workshops are breathing life into it.
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When Traditional Art Forms Become the Key to Poverty Eradication
Banglanatak is showing the world how folk art forms can revivify communities and sustain them.
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Bauls in West Bengal Languish due to Government Apathy
Folk musicians whose rustic tunes and lyrics have inspired the likes of Tagore and Dylan suffer as state stops paying their monthly stipend.
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Painting a New Story: Sohrai Art in Jharkhand
Traditionally painted by women, Sohrai and Khovar are indigenous art forms depicting weddings, harvests and life in the forests.