Speaker: Dr. Stefan Baums, Institute for Indian and Tibetan Studies, University of Munich
 
 
The ancient settlement of Niya (known as Caḍḍ_ota in the local language and as
Jingjué in Chinese) was a major station on the Southern Silk Road connecting
India and the West with China. Abandoned around the 5th century CE and
buried by the desert, it was rediscovered in the early 20th century and has
yielded impeccably preserved artefacts and written documents that provide
insight into the daily life and Buddhist practice of the local community as well
as the political interactions between Niya and the neighboring Silk Road states.
After an overview of the history and exploration of the site, I will focus on the
local form of Buddhism as it emerges from the Niya documents. The talk will
conclude with personal impressions from a recent expedition to the Niya oasis.

Films: 27 April 2015 at 18:30

Ambi Jiji’s Retirement

(29 min; 2007; dvd; English)

Director: Nandini Bedi

 

Recipient of the First Prize at Jeevika 2007: South Asia Livelihood Documentary Competition; and Zee News Livelihood Award, 4^th CMS Vatavaran 2007

 

Ambi Jiji one of the caretakers of community owned lands, always planted her crops on soil where forests have been burnt. The jhum field would then be abandoned and left to regenerate into a forest and a new one burnt. But increasingly, jhum fields are being turned into orchards which provide cash and security. Through Ambi Jiji and her daughters, we see the passing of a way of life in a remote village in Meghalaya

 

Reviving Faith – A Himalayan Journey…In Search of the Lost Tradition of Conservation

(60 min; 2008; dvd; English & with subtitles)

Director: Rishu Nigam

 

Recipient of Focus: Natural Heritage Conservation Award, 5^th CMS Vatavaran 2009

 

The film takes viewers into the sacred groves of the Himalayas that are still alive because of the faith of its people. It traces the struggles of the Himalayan people to save their forests from being plundered and raises the critical question – can the modern world restore the faith that conserved nature, before it gets too late?

 

Films courtesy: Public Service Broadcasting Trust

Films: 25 April 2015 at 18:30

Following the Rhythms (38 min; 2005; dvd; English/Hindi & with subtitles)

Director: Sanjay Barnela

 

For centuries, the Van Gujjars have herded their buffalo between the forests of Uttaranchal and the high mountain pastures of the western Himalayas following the rhythm of the seasons. Reliant on the buffalo for their livelihoods, these communities with their strong traditions and culture now face the challenge of adjusting to the demands of modern life. Following the Rhythms is an attempt to document the contours of the debate between the Forest Department and the Van Gujjars, between scientific and indigenous modes of conservation

 

A Question of Tomorrow: The Brogpas of Ladakh

(30 min; 2001; dvd; English)

Director: Mohi-ud-in Mirza

 

The story of the vanishing tribe of Brogpas of the Himalayas, descendents of Alexander the Great’s army, the film explores their worldview and perceptions of fragility

 

Apna Aloo Bazaar Becha

(30 min; 2008; dvd; English & with subtitles)

Director: Pankaj Gupta

 

Recipient of the Golden Deer, 1^st Prize, Short Length Film Category, 8^th EcoFilms Festival, Greece 2008

 

What happens when remote, mountain communities come face to face with globalization? Jardhar gaon a village in the Hemval valley of Garhwal, led an isolated, egalitatrian existence until a series of events forced it into joining the market economy

 

Films courtesy: Public Service Broadcasting Trust

Speaker: Prof. Anil K. Gupta, J.C. Bose National Fellow and Director, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun