Kalakosa
Nari Samvaad Prakalp
The IGNCA is a premier national Institution engaged in the research, preservation and dissemination of traditional Indian knowledge systems along with the fields of Indian arts, culture, lifestyle studies, folklore, etc.
Nari Samvaad Prakalp was launched in the year 2017 at IGNCA, to create a space and discourse on women’s studies from Indian perspective, by its able and illustrious management led by Sh. Ram Bahadur Rai, President and Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA.
Since then, the NSP became an essential project of IGNCA under which dedicated research on the multiple aspects of women – studies has been initiated. The primary focus of the major research projects under the Prakalp is to revisit, review and reinterpret Indian intellectual and traditional knowledge sources from the viewpoint of women, which have either been airbrushed and marginalized or distorted by misrepresentation of historical facts or completely misunderstood in the due course of time. The main objective is to explore the right and successful models preserved in these rich resources and knowledge systems, as an integral element of gender studies; and to emphasize and re-assess the key role women have played in the creation, preservation and transmission of our Indian cultural heritage. Through the Prakalp, IGNCA endeavors to look into such hidden and hitherto neglected areas where art and culture becomes a main resource for women’s empowerment. The main objective is to create a platform of discourse leading to a healthy discourse through publications, organization of special public lectures by eminent subject scholars, national and international seminars, focused workshops, exhibitions and a host of other related academic activities, which will strengthen the dialogue and pave the way for better comprehension of women studies.
The various schools of thought have interpreted the history of women according to their preferred convenience and demarcated her-story into a territorial division. However, the current project of Nari Samvaad Prakalp emphasizes on the idea of rewriting ‘her’ history keeping in view the Indian traditional knowledge systems, Indian art, culture and religion along with oral narratives, Folk and tribal communities, etc. The project seeks to question the current epistemologies in gender studies and to provide a new theoretical orientation for the study of gender, culture and religion. The project also initiates methodological reflections by introducing new ways of exploring women’s experience and to develop an indigenous ideology so that the Indian women can relate to their cultural context.
On-going Research Projects:
In addition to the successful organization of the aforesaid events from time to time, several academic research projects have also been initiated under the Prakalp which are as follows:
‘Women Saints & Philosophers of Kashmir’
(Illustrated Monograph)
The project underlines the contribution of women saints and philosophers of Kashmir to the land, which is also called the ‘SharadaDesha,’ the embodiment of feminine divinity. The illustrated monograph brings out the message of ‘peace in Kashmir’ through the ages, which has been shown through such Kashmiri women saints and philosophers who dwelled there over a long span of the last 800 years.
The documentary film titled the same was completed and released on November 19, 2019, during the Foundation Day celebrations of IGNCA. The illustrated monograph will also be released shortly.
‘AshtaNayika’
(Documentary film project)
The project showcases the representation of AshtaNayika in different types of art forms. This theme was comprehensively used by the classical dancers of Odissi, Bharat Natyam, Kathak, and other styles. The same theme was being propogated in the dramas of Kalidasa, Bhasa, etc. In the field of classical music, AshtaNayika is represented in various ragas, semi-classical music through Thumri, Kajari, etc., and folk music. In miniature paintings of Kangara, Basohli, sculpture of temples of Halebid, Konark, etc., literature and poetry, as well as bhajanas by saints like Meera, Surdas, etc.
The documentary film will be completed and released shortly.
Publications/ Promotions:
NariSamvaadPrakalp has been deeply engaged in research, publication and promotion of original studies of the subject on several aspects and the following monographs/books and A/V documentation have been published so far:
- ‘A Passion for Freedom: The story of KisaninJaggi Devi’ by DeeptiPriya Malhotra.
- ‘Gender and Orality: A Hermeneutics of Indigenous Religion in Mesoamerica’ by Sylvia Marcos.
- ‘Writing Women’s Lives: Some methodological questions for feminist historiography’ by VeenaPoonacha.
- ‘Manu: The meaning of Svatantrya and its implications for women’s freedom’ by Sanjay Kumar.
- ‘Representation of Gender in Folk Paintings of Bengal’ by Ratnabali Chatterjee.
- ‘Paradigms of female embodiment in the Hindu world’ by Madhu Khanna.
- The symbolic relationship between Indian dance and yogic chakras’ by RekhaTandon.
- ‘Paramtapasvini: Twelve Most Inspiring Women of India’ by KayanatKazi
- ‘Streedesh: The extraordinary story of forgotten Women of Kashmir’ by Ashish Kaul
- ‘Gandhi, PrakritievamNari’ edited by SushmaJatoo
- ‘Applied Natya Therapy: Integrating Science & Arts for mental health through Bharatmuni’sNatyashastra’ by Dimple Kaur
- ‘Tribhanga: The Sculptural Evolution of Durga and Ardhanarishvara’ by RamadeviSekhar
A/V Documentation
- The Mirasans of Punjab: Born to Sing
- A Dialogue with Women: Priestesses of Lepchas
- Recollection of A Satyagrahi
- The Journey of Bhikkunis
- Brahmavadinis: The first women’s Gurukul in India.
- Paramtapasvini: Twelve Most Inspiring Women of India
- Streedesh: The extraordinary story of forgotten Women of Kashmir
- Women Saints & Philosophers of Kashmir