Women

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Vishes Kothari
What is 'folk' about 'folk gods and goddesses'? What makes them 'folk'? Remember what I had said about Pabuji—he is no great god in the Hindu pantheon, but a bhomiya god who has the power to intervene in the problems of everyday life, faced by nomadic communities like the Rabari of Rajasthan….…
in Module
Vishes Kothari
Women’s voices in South Asian history can be hard to come by. Even when written genealogies and histories, epics and religious treatises mention women, they treat them as ‘subjects’ or plot devices furthering male narratives. If one turns to oral traditions, however, one finds abundant presence of…
in Overview
Soumik Datta
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
Soumik Datta
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
Soumik Datta
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
Rituparna Das
He elaborates on non-traditional approaches towards humanities and its place in Indian academia. Dr Gupta also talks about the social relevance of Bengali cookbooks and ways of rereading them.  Following is an edited transcript of the interview conducted by Rituparna Das on January 14, 2019, at…
in Interview
Rituparna Das
Cookbooks have traditionally received limited attention as artefacts of cultural production. Their pragmatic, manual-like nature dupes us into treating them less seriously than they deserve. In the twenty-first century, with every other channel featuring a food show and numerous food blogs and…
in Overview
Rituparna Das
Bengali cookbooks presented a strong case for necessitating the maintenance of a clean, properly arranged and well-ventilated kitchen space. The introduction of germ theory in the nineteenth century made notions of hygiene, pollution, dirt and disease matters of immediate concern. Its influence…
in Article
Rituparna Das
The printing history of cookbooks in India dates back to early nineteenth century. It took few decades for women to move away from anonymity and to step out as authors in the realm of professional food writing. This module examines how the flourishing of print technology in Kolkata, from the late…
in Module
Soumik Datta
Bhawaiya is a major genre of folk song popular throughout the entire sub-Himalayan belt of northern West Bengal, western Assam and parts of Bangladesh. Drawing its roots from various theatrical and matriarchal ritual folk music traditions, bhawaiya has developed into a socially conscious yet…
in Module