For research that traces the manners in which the Shi’a community in contemporary India deploys the Panja or the Fatima’s Hand, as part of a larger collection of visual and material artifacts, to show veneration for the Prophet Muhammad’s family during Muharram in Dongri and Bhendi Bazar, Mumbai, within the context of various debates on iconoclasm within Islam. The outcome of this project will be a book.
This Grant was Terminated by IFA and the Grantee is ineligible to apply to IFA in the future.
For research into four performative practices of the Char-Chapori Muslims of lower Assam namely, Lathibari, Naukhela, Gasshi Rati and Kobi Bayati. The project aims to explore the history of these cultural practices in the light of historical, political and religious pressures that have often questioned their legitimacy in the region. The outcome of the grant will be a set of four films.
For research on the evolution and cultural significance of the handmade Axomiya Gohona (jewellery) of Assam and the rise of the new jewellery industry. The project will examine the various shifts in the designs, aesthetics and presentations of the jewellery over time and the contentious relationship between rural labour and the urban market place. The outcome will be a monograph, photo documentation and audio-visual recordings in the field. The grant funds will cover honorarium, travel and living costs, reference materials, and an accountant’s fee.
For research into the work of the Wancho Literary Mission in Arunachal Pradesh towards the development and propagation of the Wancho script. The outcome of this project will be a video of the documented material.
For research on the role played by progressive theatre in Haryana, through the work of the Haryana Gyan Vigyan Samiti, in the struggle for the freedom of expression of women over the past forty years. The outcome of this project will be a monograph.
For support towards the study of the history of Bengali posters from 1930s to the present time. The project aims to understand the political, social, cultural and aesthetic parameters of the posters and their transformations over the years. The outcomes of the grant will be a book, essays and collectible prints of old posters. Grant funds will pay for honorarium, travel, photocopy, photography, transcription, materials, publishing and an accountant’s fee.
For a support towards the production of a theatre piece titled Muktidham written in Hindi, based on the history of conflict between Buddhism and Hinduism in the eighth century. The play enquires into the complex relationships between religion, power, politics, caste and patriarchy. The production will be the outcome of the grant. Grant funds will pay for honorarium, professional fees, purchase of materials, travel, equipment and space rentals, publicity and an accountant’s fee.
For research into the narratives of the Khla or the tiger as a cultural, social and political symbol in Khasi cultural practices. Inquiring into oral traditions, existing literature and cultural artefacts, this project seeks to understand the gender and political connotations of the tiger; the transitions that have taken place in the tiger cult of Meghalaya post the influence of Christianity; and the changes in human-tiger relationships that have been affected by modern environment laws. The outcome of this project will be an exhibition and a website.
For introducing the students of the Government High School, Chibbalageri, Uttara Kannada District, to the various aspects of different types of puppetry that is prevalent in the region. The outcomes will be an exhibition and a performance.
For a series of engagements in the literary arts to address learning challenges associated with language, with the students of Government Primary School, Bylandora Gauliwada, Uttara Kannada District, from the Gauli community, who are migrants from Maharashtra. The outcomes will include a publication and performances of the Gauli community.
