Transmission, mobility, adaptation and concrete expression of the Rama theme among different communities and regions in India and outside is the finest example of the power of the oral word that transcends all boundaries, be they geographic, temporal, social or literary. It provides for plurality, diversity and continuity of the tradition transcending the rigid boundaries of the text to flow in multiple streams and directions meeting with tributaries and rivulets along the way. In order to explore, understand and comprehend this living and vibrant Rama tradition in Indian culture, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, in 28, convened an international conference Ramkatha: Ankan, Manchan aur Vaachan under its ongoing project, Living Traditions of Ramkatha and Mahabharata. The present volume consists of select papers presented in this conference along with others that were specially invited from eminent scholars in the field. The papers here range from textual to oral, performance and pictorial renderings of Rama theme both in traditional and contemporary contexts, covering a large geographic area and diverse communities. For example, Bhil Ram Sitama ni Varta, Kunkana Ramkatha, Gond Ramayani, Rama traditions among the Ramnamis of Chhattisgarh, Ramman of Garhwal, Bundeli Ramkatha, Mewati Ramkatha and Ramkatha traditions among the Khasis, to name a few. The volume also contains essays on traditional and modern presentations of Rama theme in Southeast Asia. The volume is broadly organised under four themes: sacred geography; narrative; performance; and pictorial traditions. However, several of them overlap and flow into one another. The book is further divided into two sections: the first contains papers in English and the second in Hindi. This book is a significant addition to the existing literature on Ramayana and Ramkatha traditions and of great value to scholars of Indian culture, folklorists, anthropologists and Indologists.

About the Author

Molly Kaushal is Professor of Performance Studies and Head of Janapada Sampada Division of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Her area of research include oral cultures, folklore and performance traditions. Her co-edited publications include Chanted Narratives: The Living Katha Vachana Tradition (2001); Folklore Public Sphere and Civil Society (2004); Journeys: Heroes, Pilgrims, Explorers (2004); The Word and Its Resonance: Bhagat Bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (2008). Alok Bhalla is former Professor of English at Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad. He is a scholar, translator and poet. His publications include The Cartographers of Hell: Essays on the Gothic Novel and the Social History of England (1991); The Politics of Atrocity and Lust: The Vampire Tale and the Social History of England in the 19th Century (1991), Stories about the Partition of India (4 volumes), Partition Dialogues: Memories of a Lost Home (2006); The Place of Translation in a Literary Habitat (2003). Ramakar Pant, Anthropologist; specialises in socio-cultural anthropology. Presently he is associated with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, where he deals with research and documentation on the contextual aspects of culture including lifestyle, traditions, folklore and art practices of communities. He has done intensive fieldwork in the regions of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Meghalaya. He was also associated with UNESCO Chair in the field of Cultural Development. His book entitled Half the Body: The Widows of Vrindavan is in press.