Shruti Chakraborty
While menstruation has long been considered a taboo topic in India, ancient Hindu traditions recognise women as a representation of Mother Earth. In certain parts of the country, menses is equated with the ritual of regeneration and fertility, and is thus celebrated. We look at two such festivals—…
in Article
Akash Basumatari, Dhritiman Deori, Simanta Choudhury, Shrutiman Deori, Shyamal Nath
Farkanti is a song-and-dance ritual performed after the death of a person among the Rabha tribe of Assam and Meghalaya. The purpose of the performance is to enliven the sorrowful atmosphere and to show reverence and respect to the departed soul.
Juleshwari Rabha, a singer in her seventies, is…
in Video
B.N. Goswamy
Vrindavan Vastra is a 400-year-old traditional textile from Assam, woven with the theme of Krishna’s various exploits. Prof. B.N. Goswamy traces the travels a particular piece from Assam to Tibet to London; from a Vaishnava setting to a Buddhist monastery; from being a hanging filled with ‘monsters…
in Article
Simran Agarwal and Abhinav Gupta
Much like the role of a library, a museum’s responsibility is to make heritage a part of our lives. And to that end, the development of digital curation for cultural pursuits cannot be ignored anymore. Here’s a pick of lesser-known museums that have a virtual presence, enabling us to enrich our…
in Article
Ankush Bhuyan
Jyotiprasad Agarwala was born in 1903 to Kironmoyee and Paramananda Agarwala in Tamulbari, Assam. This was a time when momentous developments were taking place throughout the sociopolitical landscape of India. The freedom struggle against the British control of India was growing in strength.…
in Module
Dr Radha Das
Jyotiprasad Agarwala was born in 1903 to Kironmoyee and Paramananda Agarwala in Tamulbari, Assam. This was a time when momentous developments were taking place throughout the sociopolitical landscape of India. The freedom struggle against the British control of India was growing in strength.…
in Overview
Gaurav Rajkhowa
Introduction
Poet, playwright, music composer and political activist, Jyotiprasad Agarwala (1903–51) is widely regarded as one of the brightest lights in the firmament of Assamese cultural nationalism. He left behind a corpus of over 300 songs set to self-composed melodies, popularly referred to as…
in Article
Aparna Sharma
Introduction and Concerns
Few cinemas in the world can claim that the first film in their history focused on a woman protagonist, depicted in politically assertive terms. Assamese cinema commands this distinction. The film in question is a freedom fighter and cultural pioneer Jyotiprasad Agarwala’s…
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Anirban Kapil Baishya
The name of Jyotiprasad Agarwala is intrinsically linked to the artistic milieu of modern Assam. An accomplished author, playwright, essayist and musician, Agarwala was the archetypal Renaissance man of twentieth-century Assam. Despite his many talents, it is perhaps for his cinematic achievements…
in Article
Ankush Bhuyan
Ankush Bhuyan (AB): Tell us a little about yourself and your childhood.
Satyashree Das (SD): When we were very young, we lost our parents, so we grew up with our uncles in Tezpur. We were with father for five years in Tamulbari, and I have vivid memories from those times. It was by the end of…
in Interview