West Bengal
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During a trip to Kolkata, Prof B.N. Goswamy visited the Gurusaday Dutt Museum, with its overwhelming collection of folk art in everyday use. Of special interest to him were the various Kantha textiles, he writes. (Photo courtesy: Gurusaday Museum)
This article appeared originally in The Tribune,…
in Article
Natural history collections, housed in museums dotted across India are like mines of data. We look at five natural history museums that aim to educate mother earth’s future caretakers. (Photo courtesy: Pixabay)
At a time when climate change is an ever-existing concern and an increasing number of…
in Article
Although closely associated with principles of asceticism and renunciation, Jainism, for the last two millennia, has been a religion of temples and temple worship. Jain temples, with the diverse ritual implements of sculpted and adorned jina (enlightened and liberated teachers) images, monastic…
in Article
An acclaimed art historian, Dr Kavita Singh's research interests cover the history of Indian paintings, particularly the Mughal and Rajput schools, and the history and politics of museums. She is the recipient of the 2018 Infosys prize in Humanities for her outstanding contribution in the field of…
in Interview
The emergence of the Jain community in the Murshidabad area of Bengal was the result of two distinct waves of migration. Between 1700 and 1765, the dominant Jain actors were the Jagat Seths (banker of the world), a line of merchant-bankers who had migrated to this region from Marwar in Rajasthan.…
in Overview
The emergence of the Jain community in Bengal has its roots in Murshidabad of the eighteenth century when two distinct waves of migration between 1700 and 1765 marked their settlement and coming to prominence as important actors in the political, economic and social landscape of Bengal. Even though…
in Module
It addresses the historical origins of the modern solo bhawaiya form, the influence of nature and Rajbanshi culture on the development of the songs, and its gradual dissemination from early theatrical roots through the itinerant moishals (buffalo keepers) and gariyals (cart drivers) to the…
in Video
He has authored numerous books and essays on different aspects of the sociocultural history of North Bengal as well as ethnomusicological studies of bhawaiya songs. He is also a retired IAS officer and currently an elected representative of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
In this interview,…
in Interview
Bhawaiya is an iconic genre of folk song practised throughout the sub-Himalayan belt of northern West Bengal, southern Assam and north-western Bangladesh. There is an approximate consensus that the origins of the form may be dated back to at least the sixteenth century, during the reign of Raja…
in Overview