#KnowOurLand Pābūjī ki Phad (the Epic of Pābūjī) -
The story of Pābūjī Rathore emerges in 14th century from the desert heartland of the Indian Subcontinent. He was a Rathore Rajput and believed to be an heir to the throne of Marwar (Jodhpur) (1/n)
Pābūjī’s life and that of his four companions revolved around resolving local feuds, saving livestock, and performing many an act of bravery (2/n)
Because of his many heroic deeds, Pābūjī is today worshipped as a demigod by the nomadic Rabari people in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Sindh & Kutch regions (3/n)
His story is narrated as an oral epic by members of the scheduled castes, the Nayaks, who are also called ‘bhopas’(4/n)
The bhopas sing and narrate the tale of Pābūjī all through the night in front of a long narrative scroll cum painting depicting the events of the epic called a ‘Phad’ (5/n)
The Phad painting amazingly serves as a portable temple for Pābūjī with the bhopa as its priest. People who paint the Phads have traditionally had the surname of Josī. They are members of the Chīpā caste, who typically have expertise in textile printing (6/n)
A bhopa might perform with his wife who is called a bhopi. He might also perform with other female members of the family, brothers, etc. The musical device used in the rendition of the epic is generally the rāvaṇhattha, a two-stringed instrument (7/n)
The epic is long and broken down into episodes & the rendition is not always linear. The bhopa will take breaks & crack jokes in between, the audience might ask the bhopa to render some specific episode leaving out other parts of the narrative and so on (8/n)
‘Pābūjī ki Phad’ or reading of the Phad which is also considered as a holy object thus becomes a subtle mix of entertainment and religious celebration. It is a wonderful showcase of our rich and diverse oral culture and traditions (9/n)
As the recent student protests in Bangladesh face brutal crackdowns by Sheikh Hasina's government, resulting in hundreds of tragic deaths and injuries, it’s worth remembering the influential role of one university in shaping the country’s history. 1/19 🇧🇩
The Dhaka University, founded in 1921, has not just been a place of learning but a crucible of revolution. Through its halls, courtyards, classrooms, generations of students have rallied for change, making the university a symbol of national pride & revolutionary spirit. 2/19
"In my opinion, this university is Dhaka's greatest treasure and will do more than anything else to elevate and spread Dhaka's renown beyond the borders of Bengal, and even beyond India itself," Lord Lytton declared during the first convocation of the university. 3/19
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To know about the origin of this strange tale, we need to travel 500 years back in time, to the reign of the 4th Mughal emperor, Nur-ud-din Jahangir. In 1607, the emperor appointed Jahangir Quli Khan, a.k.a. Lalbeg as subedar of Bengal 3/11
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In the small town of Zlin on September 21, 1894, The T. & A. Baťa Shoe Company was established by Baťa siblings Tomáš, Anna, and Antonín Baťa. The siblings were among eight generations of the Bata family shoemakers and master cobblers. 3/20
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While Churchill mentioned the efforts put in by the allied forces, what is often overlooked is the contribution of Indian soldiers who were also a part of the evacuated forces – a story for another time perhaps. For now, we are interested in little packets of biscuits. 2/20
Packets that the soldiers may have been carrying during those turbulent times in their backpacks on the beaches for Dunkirk, made by a company whose name resonates with each of us. So where does this story begin? 3/20
Did you know that Bollywood films were once so famous in the African nation of Nigeria that it is said to have inspired a new genre of literature in the country? 1/21
If you ever find yourself in Kano, Northern Nigeria’s biggest city and home to the Hausa people, don't be surprised to find posters of Amitabh Bachchan or Sridevi pasted on taxis and shops and Bollywood songs playing on loop on the radio Channels. 2/21
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