One of the things I am learning here is leveraging :) so instead of trying to summarize Kalamandir's mission and vision with my own words at this late hour :), you can read read a short summary about it below:
'Kalamandir is an organization
that believes in preserving and restoring tribal art and culture. Kalamandir is
engaged in nurturing a sense of aesthetics about tribal art among individuals,
communities, organizations, and social groups. Kalamandir seeks to promote
greater interaction and understanding amongst urban societies of the tribal
traditions, their age-old customs and rituals, their faiths and values, their
songs and dances, murals and martial arts, their love for nature and zest for
life, their ballads and folk lore, in order to re-discover the wealth and the
national relevance of the country’s tribal traditions and rich heritage. Kalamandir believes
that rural and tribal populations are in the danger of losing their identities
and cultures due to industrialisation and urbanisation. Kalamandir therefore engages
in different ways to protect and empower rural and tribal communities.'
After some valuable discussions with the Kalamandir team, last Wednesday, we had the opportunity to actually visit Amadubi village to get a better understanding of the scope of our project:
'Amadubi
Kalagram, an art village, was developed by the Jharkhand Tourism Department
in association with the Village Tourism Development Committee (VTDC) and
Kalamandi-The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation to attract tourists and provide
environmentally friendly and sustainable livelihood opportunities to the local
people. The purpose was to develop Jharkhand as a tourist destination and
promote the concept of sustainable rural tourism to safeguard and disseminate
tribal and folk culture and tradition. Amadubi in Dalbhumgarh is located about
65 km from Jamshedpur
and was inaugurated in Sept 2013 to mark World Tourism day. Kalamandir now
wants to promote rural tourism to new sites, namely, Chiteswar, Janumdih, Pinderbera, Ghoranegi.'
Although very tiring, it was a great day, we could not only enjoy the calmness of the area but also the warm welcome and hospitality of the villagers as well as a truly interesting dance performance at the end of the day.
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On the way to Amadubi |
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Tata trucks on national highway nr. 33 |
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Abandoned British airbase used in World War II. |
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With lovely kids |
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Welcome at the entrance |
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At the entrance of Amadubi village |
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In the museum |
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Posing |
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Future marketing pic. |
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Rural relaxing landscape |
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The 'white giants' :) also joined the dancers at the end of their performance |
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Ladies |