For research on the soundscapes of the annual pilgrimage – Kanwar Yatra – where predominantly male devotees of Shiva undertake an arduous trek to ceremonially transport water from the Ganga at Haridwar to various Shiva shrines across North India. Through an ethnographic engagement with the Yatra, this project will focus on its auditory dimensions to explore the ecology of religiosity and popular culture. It is an attempt to understand religious practices and formation of identities in current times. The outcome will be an essay combining theoretical insights and ethnographic data. The Grantee’s deliverables to IFA will be an essay, audiovisual documentation comprising interviews with the pilgrims and photographs of the Yatra. Grant funds will pay for an honorarium, travel and food costs, professional fees, library fees, photocopying, book purchase, stationery and an accountant’s fee.
