Narrating Women's Cultural Heritage
in Chamba Region,
Himachal Pradesh
Background information:
Conducted under the
aegis of the Sahitya Akademi, the project seeks to document
cultural, literary and oral resources in selected areas
of Bharmour and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. The narratives
of older women are expected to bring a new dimension
to the understanding of the region.
The first workshop for the project was held on 21 March
2009 at the Pataudi Palace, Haryana. It concluded with
a plan of action calling for a two day workshop in Shimla
which would examine the broader aspects of oral history,
folk lore and women's narratives, and contextualise
the interviews proposed for Chamba and Bharmour.
Objectives of the Shimla Workshop
- To understand the nature of folklore and oral
resources in literature and culture
- To examine methodologies that may be suited for
research in an Indian context, specially in the
Himalayan regions.
- To discuss guidelines for transcription and& translations
of the oral resources
- To discuss feminist viewpoints on oral history,
memory, migration, family and community dynamics
- To review and discuss writings about Chamba literature,
cultural practices, history, fiction poetry
- To evolve guidelines and a flexible template for
interviewing selected persons in the Chamba district.
- To determine parameters for textual, audio and
visual documentation for the project.
- Identify possible persons for interview and those
who will assist with translation.
|
