Indian culture is deeply indebted to its oral traditions and the vast narrative world of folk art forms. It is the precursor of all cultural practices and art forms of India. The role of folklore in passing on values, beliefs, and moral teachings is tremendous. The wealth and color of Indian folklore is mind-boggling. Each region of the country has its own rich folk traditions which represent lifestyles, customs, and legends. Western India has a particularly rich and colorful folk art tradition. It is found in the tales, dances, songs, arts, and even architecture of the region. According to Komal Kothari – founder of Rupayan Sansthan, who spent his entire life in exploring and understanding folk arts – these oral traditions were never forms of one way transmission. It was more like an intergenerational sharing and dialogue. Stories were constantly evolving from narration to narration. Delightful diversity The Langa folk singers of Rajasthan; the folk dance theatre form, ‘Bhavai’, of Gujarat; the Tamasha or Lalit of Maharashtra; the visual narration or pictorial narration tradition where scrolls are used to illustrate legends (scrolls dedicated to the legends of Pabuji and Dev Narayan are common in Rajasthan) all point to a diverse folk art tradition which has reinvented itself through centuries. Triumph of good over evil, the hero who lives by his principles, tales of wise and foolish men and women, stories of kings, and animal fables are common subjects of folk tales from western India. Surprisingly, there are many heroine oriented stories featuring brave, courageous and wise women. Being a land of chivalrous and legendary warriors, many inspiring folktales depict the valor, code of honor and sacrifice of its people. Torch bearers of a great tradition Western India is also the land of nomads or Banjaras and they have played an important role in keeping folk traditions alive. Many of the Banjara epics are heroine centric. Itinerant drama troupes like the Targalas or Nayaks of Gujarat move from village to village to perform ‘Bhavai’. In Rajasthan you also have the Bhopas who are professional story tellers. Which are your favorite folk stories? Is it only the West that is interested in Indian folklore nowadays? Should folklore be introduced as subjects of study in schools?
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