Old Tradition and Its Function for Indian Women in The
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Androgynous Pariahs Gender Transformations and Politics of Culture in the North Indian Folk Theater Svāṅg
Karan Singh Government College for Women, Haryana, India Androgynous Pariahs Gender Transformations and Politics of Culture in the North Indian Folk Theater Svāṅg Theater in general and so-called “folk” theater forms in particular transpose derivative behavioral patterns onto performers by arranging them spatially within a circumscribed area. This power of theater to transform a person from his familiar, normative life to an altered “persona,” temporally and spatially, lingers on with the performer, individually as well as collectively, even when outside of the performance arena. At the same time, however, even while on the stage, a performer is never really an individual in the sense of having a dis- tinct consciousness, for he carries with him a considerable amount of baggage based on gender, caste, and other cultural determinants prominent within the Indian social sphere. While utilizing his dramatic capacity to transform his individual self into another being on stage, performance confers on the actor an opportunity to transcend social and gender boundaries. The present article seeks to understand the role played by ontological transformations and dis- guises as factors responsible for cultural condemnation of a well-known form of folk theater called svāṅg, due to the challenge it poses to the structural view of life undertaken by cultural purists as stable and fixed, particularly in the case of gender and social identities. At the same time it traces the genesis of opprobrium on folk theater as low-caste or low-class activity, resulting -
Artifacts and Representations of North Indian Art Music [*Ecompanion At
Oral Tradition, 20/1 (2005): 130-157 Shellac, Bakelite, Vinyl, and Paper: Artifacts and Representations of North Indian Art Music [*eCompanion at www.oraltradition.org] Lalita du Perron and Nicolas Magriel Introduction Short songs in dialects of Hindi are the basis for improvisation in all the genres of North Indian classical vocal music. These songs, bandiśes, constitute a central pillar of North Indian culture, spreading well beyond the geographic frontiers of Hindi itself. Songs are significant as being the only aspect of North Indian music that is “fixed” and handed down via oral tradition relatively intact. They are regarded as the core of Indian art music because they encapsulate the melodic structures upon which improvisation is based. In this paper we aim to look at some issues raised by the idiosyncrasies of written representations of songs as they has occurred within the Indian cultural milieu, and then at issues that have emerged in the course of our own ongoing efforts to represent khyāl songs from the perspectives of somewhat “insidish outsiders.” Khyāl, the focus of our current research, has been the prevalent genre of vocal music in North India for some 200 years. Khyāl songs are not defined by written representations, but are transmitted orally, committed to memory, and re-created through performance. A large component of our current project1 has been the transcription of 430 songs on the basis of detailed listening to commercial recordings that were produced during the period 1903-75, aspiring to a high degree of faithfulness to the details of specific performance instances. The shellac, bakelite, and vinyl records with 1 An AHRB-funded (Arts and Humanities Research Board) project, “Songs of North Indian Art Music” (SNIAM), carried out by the two authors in the Department of Music at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). -
Breaking Boundaries: Bhangra As a Mechanism for Identity
Running head: BREAKING BOUNDARIES 1 Breaking Boundaries: Bhangra as a Mechanism for Identity Formation and Sociopolitical Refuge Among South Asian American Youths A Thesis Presented By Quisqueya G. Witbeck In the field of Global Studies & International Relations Northeastern University June 2018 BREAKING BOUNDARIES 2 Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………...3 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….4 Literature Review…………………………………………………………………………....4 Cultural Expression & Identity Formation………………………………………….6 Challenges to Plurality………………………………………………………………7 Expanding Scope & Audience………………………………………………………9 Implications of Cultural Fusion…………………………………………………….10 Summary...………………………………………………………………………….12 Methodology……………………………………....………………………………………...12 Topics……………………………………………………………………………….12 Subjects……………………………………………………………………………..14 Analysis……………………………………………………………………………..16 Data………………………………………………………………………………………......17 Kirapa ate Sakati Bhangra…………………………………………………………..18 The Comparison Group……………………………………………………………..18 The Individuals……………………………………………………………………...19 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………....27 Background………………………………………………………………………….27 Team Dynamics Structure & Authenticity ………………………………………….28 Originality: Crafting a Style………………………………………………………....31 Defining Desi: Negotiating Identity and Expectations in a Shared Medium………..32 Opinions & ideals.…………………………………………...……………...32 Credibility, expectations & exposure…………………...…………………..33 Refuge……………………………………………………………………………….36 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………......39 -
Light on Pahari Culture Imtiaz Ahmad Hindus of the Himalayas by Gerald D Berreman, Bombay, Oxford University Press, 1963; Pp X +430, Price Rs 25.00
THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY August 22, 1964 Book Review Light on Pahari Culture Imtiaz Ahmad Hindus of the Himalayas by Gerald D Berreman, Bombay, Oxford University Press, 1963; pp X +430, price Rs 25.00. THE Paharis living on the Himala- tern of landholding and structure of cial and economic levels. Thus, the yan foothills have always been re authority and political power. pure polluted or high-low caste dicho garded as Hindus, but there has hardly tomy is a striking feature of the Pahari been any serious attempt so far to The study is concerned primarily caste structure as distinguished from study their social structure and culture with an analysis of the village social the multiple division of the plains. Se and to compare them with the social system. The author shows that ties of condly, there are few ranked subcastes structure and culture of Hindus in kinship, caste and community consti among the indigeneous hill castes in and other culture areas. Berreman's tute three important levels of organiza around Bhatbair; the sub-divisions book is the first systematic anthropolo tion in the lives of the villagers. They (gotra, sib) are of equal rank and purity. gical study attempted on Pahari provide the structural basis for Pahari culture, and one of the very few studies culture and social interaction, and It seems that the author has over that have dealt with the Himalayan pe come into prominence in varying de stated the pure-polluted dichotomy in ople. It describes a central Pahari villa grees in different contexts. The ties Pahari caste structure in trying to dis ge in the broader contexts of Pahari of kinships are of most immediate sig tinguish it from the caste structure in and North Indian culture areas. -
Music, the Media, and Communal Relations in North India, Past and Present
City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Publications and Research CUNY Graduate Center 1996 Music, the Media, and Communal Relations in North India, Past and Present Peter L. Manuel CUNY Graduate Center How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_pubs/87 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] 5 Music, the Media, and Communal Relations in North India, Past and Present PETER MANUEL MUCH OF THE DISCUSSION of communalism has attempted to ascertain the depth of the evident communal sentiment reflected in recent distur bances and the rise of Hindu militancy. Amrita Basu's essay above echoes a similar question about cultural history: do current developments reflect profound, long-standing, grass-roots animosity, or, alternately, are they merely the products of contemporary elite manipulation, ultimately con ditioned by factorsother than religious ones? While sociopolitical history is a natural focusfor such inquiries, the study of expressive culture may re veal much about social practices and attitudes, both elite and grass-roots, past and present. This chapter focuses on musical culture in north India, outlining relevant aspects of the social history of classical music, and pre senting some observations on twentieth-century folkand popular musics. My discussion of the contemporary scene will also refer to related forms of expressive culture, notably Hindi cinema and the sociopolitical uses of cassettes. Given the extraordinary diversity of South Asian musical genres and practices, any attempt to generalize about music's relation to communal ism is destined to a degree of superficiality. -
The Indian Mushairah: Traditions and Modernity
Ludmila Vasilyeva (Moscow) THE INDIAN MUSHAIRAH: TRADITIONS AND MODERNITY Look – the gathering of the mushairah is adorned with nobles and aristocrats. Sober elders and young men sit side by side dressed in long robes and heavy turbans. Someone has only a dagger, someone else has strapped on a sword. Some are so elderly that white beards have made their old age radiant. Some, in their youthfulness, have happened to bid farewell to their beards – now how should they wear beards, for the law of consistency of style would be broken… Muhammad Husain Azad1 A spacious square, covered with mats, its major part being shadowed by a gigantic tent il- luminated by countless lamps of every colour. Men in great numbers are evenly seated in rows upon the mats – it seems that the whole city has assembled here! The atmosphere is festive and ceremonial. It’s a mushairah [ mush ā’irah ] famed grey-haired poets along with their young and less known colleagues are to read out their poems. To enjoy this recital the dwellers of the city and its suburbs began to flock to the square long in advance. The mushairah helps to forget and drive away the troubles and problems of everyday life; only the realm of poetry remains in which the audience will stay till dawn: as a rule, city mushairah opens late in the evening and ends at sunrise. The chairman announces a poet` s name and places the mike before one of the men seated upon the dais. The audience holds its breath in anticipation. The poet reads out the first line and all of a sudden the whole crowd, many thousands, -
Psychosocial Support Groups for North Indian Women
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT GROUPS FOR NORTH INDIAN WOMEN “HOW CAN WE SHARE WHEN WE DON’T GO OUT?” PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT GROUPS FOR NORTH INDIAN WOMEN By NICOLA S. GAILITS, B.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science (Global Health) McMaster University © Copyright by Nicola Gailits, January 2017 i McMaster University MASTER OF SCIENCE (2015) Hamilton, Ontario (Global Health) TITLE: “How Can We Share When We Don’t Go Out?” Psychosocial Support Groups For North Indian Women AUTHOR: Nicola Gailits, B.A. (McMaster University) SUPERVISORS: Dr. Lisa Schwartz and Dr. Elysée Nouvet NUMBER OF PAGES: 112 ii ABSTRACT Background: Although major depression is one of the leading causes of premature death and disability in India, there is little infrastructure to provide mental health services in the rural North Indian state of Uttarakhand. The worldwide burden of depression is 50% higher in women than men, however Indian women experience the double burden of gender disadvantage and poverty which restricts their autonomy and access to social support, and increases their risk for common mental disorders (CMDs). In this low resource setting, community mental health (CMH) models of care may offer the best approach to supporting women with CMDs. Objective: This study partnered with a local NGO in Uttarakhand to examine the factors influencing women’s participation in psychosocial support groups (PSSGs), and the groups’ impact on the women and their communities. PSSGs had been set up in the communities for a minimum of 6 months Methodology: Focused ethnographic research was conducted over three months in 2016, involving ten focus group discussions (FGDs) with seven unique PSSGs, representing a total of 43 women. -
Cultural Panorama and Famous Places of India India Is the Home for Art and Culture
Cultural Panorama and Famous Places of India India is the home for art and culture. Some of the famous places of India are also the famous monuments of the world. The culture of India has various shades to it. To know more about the famous places of India and its culture, let’s explore the article further! Cultural Panorama India is a culturally diverse country. The classification of Indian culture is divided into 4 divisions and that is North Indian culture, South India culture, East India culture and West India culture. • North Indian culture has its impact the northern states of India i.e. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. Art and architecture is the main attraction in north India be it, The Hanuman statue in Delhi or the Taj Mahal in Agra an also the Rajputana Paintings. Traditionally women there wear Shalwar kameez along with a Dupatta and men wears kurta and Choini. • East Indian culture has its impact the eastern states of India i.e. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The staple food of this culture of Fish and Rice. Durga Pooja and Jagannath Yatra are the two main cultural attraction of East Indian culture. • West Indian culture has its impact on the Western states of India i.e. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa and union territory of Diu and Daman. Celebrating of festivals like Ganesh Chathurty and Kite flying Festival is Western Indian culture. There is cultural diversity and therefore the staple food of this culture is varied from region to region. -
P \K Pcliticial The, ,- " and Poljcy Analy.S Is '519 North Pamk Indiana University M
Voices from the Commons 6th Annual Common Property Conf., IASCP Berkeleyy , CA. 5-9 June, 1996 P \K PCLITICIAL THE, ,- " AND POLJCY ANALY.S IS '519 NORTH PAMK INDIANA UNIVERSITY M. INDiAN'A 474O3186 Gender and Forest Commons of the Western Indian Himalayas: A Case Study of Differences Kerril Davidson-Hunt Natural Resources Institute University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada ABSTRACT This paper discusses the role of women in common property use in the Indian Himalayas, outlining the central role of women in the use of village commons and the protection of village forests and pastures. Women were interviewed in two villages of the Kulu Valley and, in one village in particular, were found to have organized themselves in a similar manner to the women of the Chipko movement to regulate and protect village forests from degradation. The Mahila Mandal, a women's organization found throughout India, was the main vehicle for village control and management of common lands. While almost all women within the village were found to use village commons for the multiple purposes of fuel, fodder and/or cattle bedding, the present research did not find that all women were equally involved in the decision-making processes that occurred over the use and management of village commons. Caste considerations were essential for understanding the village-level decision-making processes over village common property. The Mahila Mandal was composed primarily of upper caste Rajput women. The exclusion of lower caste women from the village organization that regulated the use of village commons meant that specific needs of lower caste women were not incorporated into the management of village commons. -
Copyright by Jeffrey Michael Grimes 2008
Copyright by Jeffrey Michael Grimes 2008 The Dissertation Committee for Jeffrey Michael Grimes certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: The Geography of Hindustani Music: The Influence of Region and Regionalism on The North Indian Classical Tradition Committee: ____________________________________ Stephen M. Slawek, Supervisor ____________________________________ Veit Erlmann ____________________________________ Ward Keeler ____________________________________ Robin Moore ____________________________________ Shanti Kumar The Geography of Hindustani Music: The Influence of Region and Regionalism on The North Indian Classical Tradition by Jeffrey Michael Grimes, M.M., B.M. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin December 2008 Acknowledgements I would like to briefly thank a few individuals for making this project possible. The first are my parents, Tom and Kay Grimes, who have supported me emotionally and, as necessary, financially through the dissertation writing process (and earlier, as well). Next, I would like to thank my mentor and dissertation supervisor Dr. Stephen M. Slawek. All that I know of Indian music (even the things he didn’t teach me directly) is due to him, both as my academic adviser and as my long-time sitar Guru. Especially crucial for the current project, though, has been his unwavering moral and intellectual support. Dr. Slawek encouraged me from day one to pursue the work I wanted to pursue, and I cannot be more grateful for this. All of his advisees that he has shepherded through the process of writing a report or dissertation, I am sure, would say the same. -
An Inquiry Into Contextualized Christian Expression in North India
© 2011 M. J. Gracin ii ABSTRACT AN INQUIRY INTO CONTEXTUALIZED CHRISTIAN EXPRESSION IN NORTH INDIA M. J. Gracin Liberty University The riches of India’s ancient and diverse culture are proclaimed from the music that communicates the heart of Bharat Mata – Mother India. This sentiment resounds across the vast geographical area of India in songs from Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Bollywood composers. The question of how Christians might express their faith in light of societal, historical and religious amalgamations is the topic of discussion for this project. The inquiry will focus on the music culture of North India, specifically as it is expressed in the city of B_____, Uttar Pradesh. A six week field study was conducted in India to interview Hindu musicians and non-musicians. Audio and video recordings were made of the interviews, and photographs and recordings were made of various performances. The analysis endeavors to fill the gap concerning an understanding of the need for contextualized Christian expression and recommendations are presented for carrying out the task. iii CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................5 Project Significance ...............................................................................................................5 Definition of Purpose .............................................................................................................9 Intended Outcomes ............................................................................................................. -
Introduction
Introduction TRACY PINTCHMAN1 There has been a tendency in many forms of religious discourse to asso- ciate religion primarily with the nonmaterial realm of extramundane considerations and experiences, especially beliefs about God or “the Ulti- mate” variously understood, timeless truths about eternal realities, and experiences that lie beyond the realm of ordinary human awareness. This tendency has remained remarkably tenacious despite numerous attempts by religious studies scholars to unseat it. It can be traced to the origins of contemporary religious studies in Enlightenment-era Protestant theol- RJ\ZLWKLWVHPSKDVLVRQEHOLHIDQGGRFWULQHDVWKHGHÀQLQJHOHPHQWVRI UHOLJLRQ7KHÀHOGRIUHOLJLRXVVWXGLHVFRQWLQXHVDOVRWREHLQÁXHQFHGE\ early phenomenological categories and approaches to religion scholar- ship, with their emphases on, for example, “the Holy” or “the Sacred” as categories that reside, ultimately, outside of history and the material realm. As Dick Houtman and Birgit Meyer have recently observed about the origins of the academic study of religion, Wasn’t the opposition between spirituality and materiality the GHÀQLQJ FKDUDFWHULVWLF RI UHOLJLRQ XQGHUVWRRG DV JHDUHG WR D WUDQVFHQGHQWDO´EH\RQGµWKDWZDV´LPPDWHULDOµE\GHÀQLWLRQ" Grounded in the rise of religion as a modern category, with Protestantism as its main exponent, this conceptualization entails the devaluation of religious material culture—and materiality at large—as lacking serious empirical, let alone theoretical interest. (Houtman and Meyer 2012, 1) 1 © 2015 State University of New York Press, Albany 2 Tracy Pintchman An overriding emphasis on ideas, beliefs, theologies, and doctrines as the essence of religion persists in a widespread discursive practice of equating “religion” with “faith” and speaking of individuals as “mem- bers of the (Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and so forth) faith” and promoting ´LQWHUIDLWKGLDORJXHµDVDPHDQVRIEULGJLQJGLͿHUHQFHVDPRQJUHOLJLRXV- ly diverging groups.