The Indian sub-continent has one of the richest records in the form of rock paintings. The rock-shelters in India were mainly occupied by the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic people in India. Cave petroglyphs began in Upper Palaeolathic Age. The rock paintings of this period are symbolic representation of the primitive...
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The moving communities of janas of the Vedic age entered upon the well defined areas called janapada states for settlement. Janapada state synchronizes with the literature that refers to it viz. Brahmanas, Strutas, Sutras, Pali Tripitaka, Jaina Agamas and Ashtadhyayi of Panini who gives a detailed picture of the...
The earliest representations of symbols are noted in Indus Valley seals. The seals bear on them several religious signs, human and animal figures and pictographic legend. They simplify popular religious beliefs. Unfortunately, the efforts are ongoing but the script’ has not yet been deciphered, hence the religious system of...
In the later Vedic Age, a number of small kingdoms or city states had covered the subcontinent, many mentioned in Vedic, early Buddhist and Jaina literature as far back as 1000 BCE. By 500 BCE, sixteen monarchies and “republics” known as the Mahajanpadas_Kasi, Kosala, Anga, Magadha,Vajji or Vrijji, Malla,...
–Shashibala STrOLLiNG minstrels are highly skilled storytellers and actors who perform to teach folk people through singing and dancing, making gestures and playing music, using oral and visual material like painted scrolls and shadow projections. They are professional entertainers, moving from place to place, transmitting ideas, forms and styles...
-Neera Misra Introduction VARIOUS forms of expressions since time immemorial connect man to man, and man to nature, sometimes also giving glimpses into their historical progress and interpersonal relationships. One form that has continued since ages is that of the folklore, which we find prevalent in almost all nations,...
-D.P. Sharma –Madhuri Sharma This paper deals with the roots of symbols in early historic art of South Asia, for in the art of Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilization lie the roots that are observed in pre-Haṛappan and Sindhu–Sarasvatī civilization, an art which continued in later historic period and is still existing...
-Anjali Capila Folk art is an integral part of living. It is functional and spontaneous. It also reflects the constancy of belongingness and affinity in a cultural context. In the process of cultural change, innovation has a special role. The roots are unchanging, the process is continuous. Change is...
At village level myths and legends circulated through efforts of professional storytellers called sutras who travelled a lot with painted paper scrolls. Charana bard community of Banaras are tradition singers and story-tellers. The Malas of south India were the story-tellers. A group of mendicant story tellers Santhal Pargana and...
When we talk about folklore the picture comes to our mind is a grand Ma sitting outside her hut, surrounded by village children, ready to tell some absorbing tales to the children that could be of valour, bravery or example of honesty, and so on. Or village people sitting...