Meet the man-bird who swings from a hook pierced through him

He's just one of 28 practitioners who are keeping next-to extinct cultural traditions alive. Mini Chandran Kurian reads from her coffee table book to introduce you to unsung custodians of our art

Nemichand Bhat from Rajasthan has a curious occupation. He keeps track of life in the remote village of Rajasthan he resides in. He's the official genealogist who records all the births, deaths and marriages and can recall every villager's ancestry dating back several hundreds of years. Bhat finds his way in a new coffee table book titled Folk Yatra by journalist Mini Chandran Kurian. Kurian will read excerpts from the book this evening at NCPA.

Of the 50 people she met, 28 made it to the book, including Puroshattam Madhusudan Pathak, a Chaturvedi (knowledgeable in four Vedas) from Mathura, who for the past 50 years lives on the banks of the Yamuna and takes pilgrims through the stages of a pilgrimage.

Bhopa Gayad Lal Nayak and his wife (the Bhopi) are nomadic storytellers from Rajasthan. They dig bamboo poles into the earth, unfurl their 100-year old phad (hand-woven narrative scroll) that's brimming with images depicting tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Bhopa narrates each story on the scroll, while his wife holds a lantern to illuminate the appropriate portion and sings along, in a sort of live performance under the dark desert skies.

Then there is the bizarre man-bird or the Garudan, a performer dressed as the mythical eagle (Garuda) of Lord Narayana. His face painted green, with wings and a red beak attached, he is considered a medium through which mortals can reach out to the Devi. During special ceremonies, he swings from a rope attached to his back via a metal hook; a painful ritual that's just a part of a day's job for the Garudan.

Kurien hopes the book will raise awareness about ancient art forms that must be recorded for posterity. "A lot of attention is given to tangible heritage monuments and artefacts, but what about the intangible art forms and legacies? This book questions reasons behind the neglect."

At: Morarka Cultural Centre, Little Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
On: Today, 6 pm onwards.
Call: 22824567. Folk Yatra is published by Jill and the Beanstalk and is priced at Rs 700.

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