20 जून 2024
Reviving India’s Heritage of Fun
"And one very interesting thing in a place called Navalgund, near Hubli-Dharwad area.
That Navalgund has a pit loom weaving of jamkhanas. And this jamkhanas are mostly woven by the girls and they start when they were, yeah, they are young. And by the time they are getting married, they will weave one beautiful jamkhana which we have in the centre game board of Padge, Pachisi or Chausar.
And there will be four peacocks in between the quadrants, and it is called Char Mor Padge Jamkhana. And Navilu in Kannada it is peacock. It's a place where peacock grow that area, the entire area.
That is where, that's why it is called Navalgunda, peacock grow. So peacock is the main motif. So even in the jamkhana, they will weave a peacock, four peacock motif.
And they take this as a bridal trousseau to her husband's house. The, every girl who learns to weave this jamkhana. So this is one aspect. So each and every house will have this game board."
In Episode 6 of Season 3 of our podcast “Talk in the Town”, we had the pleasure of speaking with R. Gyaneshwar Singh and H S Dharmendra, core members of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP) in Mysuru. RKP is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of indigenous craft traditions, focusing on preserving the rich heritage of paintings, dolls, and indoor games in Karnataka and beyond.
H S Dharmendra serves as the Head of Research at RKP, where he plays a key role in designing traditional crafts, artefacts, dolls, and game boards. Meanwhile, R G Singh, the Honorary Secretary of RKP, has been a driving force behind the revival of traditional Indian arts. Together with Dr. Dileep K.C.R. Gowda, they have spent over 25 years researching India’s indigenous board games, passing on their knowledge to thousands of enthusiasts through workshops and community programmes.
In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of indigenous craftsmanship and the invaluable work RKP is doing to preserve these cultural treasures for future generations. Tune in for an enriching conversation about tradition, heritage, and the art of storytelling through craft.