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Wide Variety The festival will have a medley of events.

What a treasure India is? And we know so little about it. For instance, the Indian folklore culture. It is a tradition that is being passed on even before written history came into being. The roots of all culture lie in its folklore, be it fables, songs, myths, music or dance. It has been a part of our lives unknowingly.

The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL), a non-profit cultural organisation is organising a seminar-cum-festival of folklore of SAARC countries from December 5 to 9 in New Delhi. The first-ever event in the region, which is part of the larger festival, is being co-ordinated by ICCR and the SAARC division of Ministry of External Affairs to celebrate India’s chairmanship of SAARC.

The event is likely to showcase the South Asian folklore through discussions as well as performances. “The folk culture is so strong in South Asia like nowhere else in this world. We thought it would be a good idea to have an event where people get to know about different cultures. This in turn will educate people, bridge the borders and keep the tradition alive,” says Ajeet Cour, Chairman, FOSWAL.

About 50 scholars from different countries, who are researching on the subject, will come together to share their experiences, analyse and discuss aspects of folklore in this region. The seminar participants include eminent folklorists and scholars like Shahzad Qaiser, Enver Sajjad and Fouzia Saeed from Pakistan, Tulasi Diwasa from Nepal, Shamsuzzaman Khan and Jamil Ahmad from Bangaldesh, Nihal Rodrigo and Tissa Kariyawasam from Sri Lanka, Lyonpo Jigmi Y. Thinley from Bhutan, Kapil Tiwari, Muthukumaraswamy, Udaya Narayana Singh and Chandrabhanu Pattanayak from India, amongst others.

The performances too will see a huge variety. Look out for therukkoothu, theyyam, kalaripayattu, dastangoi, Telugu folksongs, Naga dances and performances from Baluchistan, Sind, Punjab, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. While the academic seminar will take place at Academy of Fine Arts and Literature (AFAL) from December 7 to 9, between 9.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. the folk performances will be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) from December 5 to 9, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

There will also be an exhibition of folklore artefacts like paintings, sculptures, musical instruments, costumes and films at AFAL and Maati Ghar at IGNCA.

“We will also have performances spread over the city in different schools and colleges, so that youngsters get acquainted with these age-old traditions. The troupe may also perform in neighbouring towns and villages,” adds Cour.

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