CALENDAR 2018
Text copyright © Nalini Ramachandran 2017 Illustrations copyright © Abhishek Choudhury 2017
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JANUARY 2018 Su
14
28
Mo
1
15
29
Tu
2
16
30
We
3
17
31
Th
4
18
Fr
5
19
Sa
6
20
Su
7
21
Mo
8
22
Tu
9
23
We
10
24
Th
11
25
Fr
12
26
Sa
13
27
In Telugu, the language widely spoken in Andhra Pradesh, tholu means ‘leather’ and bommalata means ‘dance of the puppets’. So Tholu Bommalata is the ‘dance of the leather puppets’. These puppets are among the largest in the world, with some nearly six feet tall. Characters are created in different sizes as well as attire. For example, there are usually five Hanuman puppets, three of Ravana and two of Rama. The leather puppets are projected on to a white cloth screen with the help of light from oil lamps or electric bulbs.
FEBRUARY 2018 Su
11
25
Mo
12
26
Tu
13
27
We
14
28
Th
1
15
Fr
2
16
Sa
3
17
Su
4
18
Mo
5
19
Tu
6
20
We
7
21
Th
8
22
Fr
9
23
Sa
10
24
Oja-Pali, one of the most ancient folk forms of Assam, presents stories through choral singing and dance. It gets its name from the lead singer, who’s called the oja, and his associates, the palis. One among the three major types of Oja-Pali, Sukanani Oja-Pali tells the tale of the snake goddess Manasa Devi from the Padma Purana.
MARCH 2018 Su
11
25
Mo
12
26
Tu
13
27
We
14
28
Th
1
15
29
Fr
2
16
30
Sa
3
17
31
Su
4
18
Mo
5
19
Tu
6
20
We
7
21
Th
8
22
Fr
9
23
Sa
10
24
The wall art of Mithila or Madhubani, originally practised only by the women of the region, is now produced on cloth and paper as well. In Madhubani art, certain symbols—the sun, the peacock, the elephant, fish and the Tree of Life—are believed to be signs of good fortune. Madhubani renditions of the Tree of Life depict their respect for prakriti (nature), which is considered the female form in creation.
APRIL 2018 Su
1
15
29
Mo
2
16
30
Tu
3
17
We
4
18
Th
5
19
Fr
6
20
Sa
7
21
Su
8
22
Mo
9
23
Tu
10
24
We
11
25
Th
12
26
Fr
13
27
Sa
14
28
The festival of Lohri is dedicated to the god of fire. At the end of winter, people from the Sikh and Punjabi communities in Punjab and Haryana celebrate Lohri to mark the harvest of rabi crops. They offer til (sesame) and rorhi (jaggery), along with popped corn and puffed rice, to a bonfire that they pray to. When said together, til and rorhi form ‘tilrohri’ or ‘tilohri’, from which the festival came to be called Lohri.
MAY 2018 Su
13
27
Mo
14
28
Tu
1
15
29
We
2
16
30
Th
3
17
31
Fr
4
18
Sa
5
19
Su
6
20
Mo
7
21
Tu
8
22
We
9
23
Th
10
24
Fr
11
25
Sa
12
26
Raas Leela is the dance of Krishna, his consort Radha and the gopis (female cowherds). As many Manipuri people believe in Vishnu, stories of his avatar Krishna and Radha have become part of the state’s folk traditions, including dance. While Manipuri dance comprises different types, such as Pung Cholom, Nupa Cholom and Thang Ta, it is often represented visually through Raas Leela.
JUNE 2018 Su
10
24
Mo
11
25
Tu
12
26
We
13
27
Th
14
28
Fr
1
15
29
Sa
2
16
30
Su
3
17
Mo
4
18
Tu
5
19
We
6
20
Th
7
21
Fr
8
22
Sa
9
23
Siddi Goma is an energetic dance form. Its name comes from the Swahili word ngoma, meaning ‘drum, dance, music and rhythm’. Since the Siddis living in Daman and Diu mostly speak Gujarati, Siddi Goma is also called Siddi Dhamal—in Gujarati, dhamal means ‘drum’. The dance is performed by a group of singers, drummers and dancers, who paint their faces and are dressed in peacock feathers over bright skirts as well as shell belts and headgear.
JULY 2018 Su
1
15
29
Mo
2
16
30
Tu
3
17
31
We
4
18
Th
5
19
Fr
6
20
Sa
7
21
Su
8
22
Mo
9
23
Tu
10
24
We
11
25
Th
12
26
Fr
13
27
Sa
14
28
Dastangoi, a centuries-old Urdu oral storytelling tradition, means ‘to narrate a tale’. It is said to have originated around the ninth century, in Persia (present-day Iran). Over time, the tradition travelled, by word of mouth, to Delhi. Dastangoi requires only three things: a captivating story, a masterful storyteller and a keen audience. Revived in recent years, a range of topics, like political events and retellings of children’s classics, has been added to the tradition’s bag of stories.
AUGUST 2018 Su
12
26
Mo
13
27
Tu
14
28
We
1
15
29
Th
2
16
30
Fr
3
17
31
Sa
4
18
Su
5
19
Mo
6
20
Tu
7
21
We
8
22
Th
9
23
Fr
10
24
Sa
11
25
Ghode Modni is a colourful dance that celebrates the many emotions of cavalry before, during and after a battle, as experienced in earlier times. Ghode means ‘horses’ and modni means ‘twirling’. Ghode Modni recreates the many victories of the Ranes—Maratha warriors with Rajput roots—over the Portuguese, who had colonized Goa. During this mock war, the dancers ride through the village, locking swords and effortlessly twirling along with dummy horse frames.
SEPTEMBER 2018 Su
9
23
Mo
10
24
Tu
11
25
We
12
26
Th
13
27
Fr
14
28
Sa
1
15
29
Su
2
16
30
Mo
3
17
Tu
4
18
We
5
19
Th
6
20
Fr
7
21
Sa
8
22
In Ladakh, there are several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. Nearly all of them present an animated masked dance by monks during various occasions every year. This dance, which has evolved over time from a ritual practised in secrecy to a public performance, is called Cham or Tsam. The monks wear multicoloured brocade costumes and dance, using sacred mudras, in circular formations to traditional Tibetan Buddhist music.
OCTOBER 2018 Su
14
28
Mo
1
15
29
Tu
2
16
30
We
3
17
31
Th
4
18
Fr
5
19
Sa
6
20
Su
7
21
Mo
8
22
Tu
9
23
We
10
24
Th
11
25
Fr
12
26
Sa
13
27
Chadar Badar is a rare art form, practised only by a few Santhals, especially in Jharkhand. The name comes from the cloth (chadar) that is tied (bandhan) around a wooden box-like framework to hide how the puppeteer manipulates the puppets that are inside it. The show of the male drummer and dancing girl puppets on the rotating stage inside resembles the back-and-forth dance of Santhali women. In the local dialect, Chadar Badar is also said to mean ‘rhythm and colour’.
NOVEMBER 2018 Su
11
25
Mo
12
26
Tu
13
27
We
14
28
Th
1
15
29
Fr
2
16
30
Sa
3
17
Su
4
18
Mo
5
19
Tu
6
20
We
7
21
Th
8
22
Fr
9
23
Sa
10
24
Kirtan, a tradition in which stories are told through songs, evolved in Maharashtra with the spread of the Bhakti movement in the state. As the hymns were sung in Marathi, it came to be called Marathi Kirtan. But many states have their own version of Kirtan. For example, it is known as Katha Kalakshepam in Tamil Nadu and Harikatha in Karnataka. According to mythology, the praises sung by Narada, of Vishnu, can be considered to be the earliest Kirtan.
DECEMBER 2018 Su
9
23
Mo
10
24
Tu
11
25
We
12
26
Th
13
27
Fr
14
28
Sa
1
15
29
Su
2
16
30
Mo
3
17
31
Tu
4
18
We
5
19
Th
6
20
Fr
7
21
Sa
8
22
In Cheraw dance of Mizoram, also called bamboo dance, dancers step in and out of a grid of long bamboo poles. In all, eight poles are clapped over two base poles by four pairs of men sitting opposite each other, thus creating the rhythm and tempo for the dance. Inspired by nature, six to eight women carefully step over the crossed poles without letting them close around their ankles, often mimicking the movement of trees and birds.