Buda folklore -a center for folklore research and documentation located in Honnavar -Uttara kannada region. is conducting educational tours on environment and culture in the Western Ghat region.
Buda Folklore Center dedicated to the understanding of local cultures and traditional knowledge backed by over 45 years of field research and documentation. The organization has established folklore Center as a predominant area of study and research with a vast database on various tribes and indigenous communities of uttara kannda region , thereby creating public access and awareness about folklore
The folklore center has designed study modules based on the topic of interest. The expertise , who are pioneers in folklore research will guide, provide assistance with local liaison and also host the students on such a programme.
Study of Tribes
The organization works primarily in rural settlements. It takes students and culture travelers to the field to gain hands on work experience and thereby understand the complexities that the native population deal with on a daily basis.
Currently focused on four tribes (Gammokkalu, Kare okkalu, Halakki, Gonda) whose settlements are located around Honnavar.
Buda believes that one of the most exciting aspects of heritage education is experiencing our folk culture first hand and understands the interrelationship between land and people and their way of life.
Forest Folklore (environment group)..
Food and health
Study of medicinal plants, meeting folk healers, , eco friendly way of living ,indigenous knowledge etc.
Forest food
Study of underutilized, uncultivated edible leaves, roots, barriers from the forest
Eco system-
mangroves, estuaries, threats from various human activities.
Bio diversity, study of islands, river and the sea
The 3 routes-
Buda-has initiated a study tour programme for schools and colleges along the sea route, forest route and the river route in order to bring awareness and education in the folklore culture for the past few years in Honnavar.
o The river route.
o The sea route
o The forest route
This helps the students to connect the particular place, people and the life, as they are always been interconnected. In addition, they can study how the environment influences the life of the people and visa versa.
A study programme:
There is immense scope to use this knowledge to build and explore new avenues, revisit documented knowledge at field level, understand prevailing stresses or simply showcase the volume of work into modules that are eye-catching.
The foundation would like to encourage students to study folklore. The purpose is entirely academic and community centric. The effort is to understand folk culture and heritage. Hence the foundation would like to initiate diversified studies ranging from a week to a year. It invites students and other interested individuals who would like to explore first hand field research, learn and document.
Focus can be on….
Community Development
Preservation and continuity of traditions
Sustainable Community
Spirit of Innovation
PHASE 1
o INTENTION
Interacting with families- understanding their lives, their context in which they live and understanding living traditions, study of environment, study of individual families
Study of tribes in the village
Demographic survey- environment, resources, population etc
PHASE 2
o NEEDS and CONCERNS
understanding of culture, modernity and identity
Traditional knowledge systems of the tribes
Exploring each aspect of culture
Research and Documentation-In collaboration with Buda
PHASE 3
o INTERNSHIP
Product Development
Design intervention
Working with artisans
Food, art and craft
Internships/projects:
Buda hopes to initiate a strong study and research assistantship programme that brings together students and people from diverse parts of India and the world, for the preservation and continuation of Folklore heritage.
Buda provides opportunities to interested individuals who may participate in a wide variety of capacities and projects, depending on their skills and interests. Various options of fieldwork and documentation work are available. Internship FF is involved in various projects and programs in the field of conservation, documentation and preservation of folk culture.
It aimed to create a forum where the students could discuss and explore themselves such as cultural heritage, environment, sustainable development, craft and folk art and the state of indigenous communities. It was an attempt to make connections between people and environment cultural memory, and language, identity in expression of art/craft /other performances, sustainability and biodiversity.
