Stories from the Forests:
Understanding Kumaoni Folktales

How do Kumaon Himalayan narratives teach harmony with nature? How do these stories retain cultural importance over time? What’s the role of storytelling and rituals in cultural preservation?

DURATION: 3 DAYS | BATCH: To Be Announced | STARTING DATE: To Be Announced

Stories about deities, mysticism, faith and worship are rich narratives from the Kumaon Himalayas that tell us about people’s interconnectedness with nature, their lands, their rivers and their resources. These stories help us understand how these communities in the mountains live their everyday lives and make sense of conflict, misfortunes and grievances.

This course brings together three stories that are embedded in a shared consciousness of the invincibility of nature. Nature, that may manifest in the form of deities and spirits, holds important lessons of balance and justice for mortal beings that are meant to help people remain connected to the earth and to one another.

These stories were narrated in Kumaoni and Hindi. They were heard as individual narrations during one-to-one conversations as well as part of ritualistic processes that I attended. I have translated these into English. Every session with begin with a narration of the story and then proceed to analyse and understand the meanings these stories hold, a reason for them being repeatedly told over generations, even as they remain fluid in the dynamics of their content.

Date:
To Be Announced
Duration:
3 Day Course
Mode:
Virtual Course using Zoom

Skills Gained:

  • Learn about Kumaoni belief practices and rituals of worship.
  • Understand how narratives in the form of stories and folktales can be analysed to make meaningful interpretations for contemporary times.
  • An introduction to everyday life in rural India.

Recommended For:
This course is recommended for anthropology and cultural studies students, environmental enthusiasts, folklore scholars, and anyone curious about Himalayan culture and its connection to nature.

Dr. Kalindi Kokal, Ph.D.(Law) is an Associate, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and Author, State law, Dispute Processing and Legal Pluralism: Unspoken Dialogues from Rural India (Routledge 2020). She teaches the sociological embeddedness of conflict at the Maharashtra National Law School and is currently a visiting faculty at the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in Pune.
 
Her research straddles the disciplines of law and anthropology, with a focus on legal pluralism and dispute processing within the broader framework of law and society in India.
 
Her monograph published in 2020 by Routledge is titled: State Law, Dispute Processing and Legal Pluralism – Unspoken Dialogues from Rural India.

Stories about deities, mysticism, faith and worship are rich narratives from the Kumaon Himalayas that tell us about people’s interconnectedness with nature, their lands, their rivers and their resources. These stories help us understand how these communities in the mountains live their everyday lives and make sense of conflict, misfortunes and grievances.

This course brings together three stories that are embedded in a shared consciousness of the invincibility of nature. Nature, that may manifest in the form of deities and spirits, holds important lessons of balance and justice for mortal beings that are meant to help people remain connected to the earth and to one another.

These stories were narrated in Kumaoni and Hindi. They were heard as individual narrations during one-to-one conversations as well as part of ritualistic processes that I attended. I have translated these into English. Every session with begin with a narration of the story and then proceed to analyse and understand the meanings these stories hold, a reason for them being repeatedly told over generations, even as they remain fluid in the dynamics of their content.

Date:
To Be Announced
Duration:
3 Day Course
Mode:
Virtual Course using Zoom

Skills Gained:

  • Learn about Kumaoni belief practices and rituals of worship.
  • Understand how narratives in the form of stories and folktales can be analysed to make meaningful interpretations for contemporary times.
  • An introduction to everyday life in rural India.

Recommended For:
This course is recommended for anthropology and cultural studies students, environmental enthusiasts, folklore scholars, and anyone curious about Himalayan culture and its connection to nature.

Dr. Kalindi Kokal, Ph.D.(Law) is an Associate, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and Author, State law, Dispute Processing and Legal Pluralism: Unspoken Dialogues from Rural India (Routledge 2020). She teaches the sociological embeddedness of conflict at the Maharashtra National Law School and is currently a visiting faculty at the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in Pune.
 
Her research straddles the disciplines of law and anthropology, with a focus on legal pluralism and dispute processing within the broader framework of law and society in India.
 
Her monograph published in 2020 by Routledge is titled: State Law, Dispute Processing and Legal Pluralism – Unspoken Dialogues from Rural India.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it a certificate course ?

Yes, you will get an e-certificate on completion of the course (during that month)

Will I be able to get a recording ?

You are strongly advised to attend the session in real time since participating in the exercises and group discussions is essential to a holistic understanding of the course. However, recordings can be made available for a limited time only for those participants who are able to supply valid reasons for their absence.

Is this course good for me ? I am a beginner.

Yes, this course is tailored for everyone.

What are the general timings of the course ?

The classes are typically scheduled in the evening according to Indian Standard Time. For those in other time zones, we arrange a mutually convenient time as a group before the classes begin.

How do I pay ? Form of payment ?

Indian applicants will be able to pay via a secure gateway provided by Razorpay. Foreign applicants will be able to pay via a secure gateway provided by Stripe.

Are you going to offer this course again?

Please keep checking the website. We may repeat it in due course.

Is this an online course ?

Yes, this is a virtual course with active engagement with students.

In case of a technical glitch, will the lesson be rescheduled ?

Yes, the lesson will be rescheduled