International Conference on Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature
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Item Symbolic Elephant Motif in Traditional Indian Textiles and Embroideries(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kumar, V.The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. India had always been known as the land that portrayed cultural and traditional vibrancy through its conventional arts and crafts. Widely used as motif in Indian textiles, Elephant is a symbol of wisdom, fertility, prosperity, strength and royalty. Elephants are important in Indian mythology too. Lord Ganesha bears an elephant head, symbolizing great intellect and wisdom. As vahan of Indra, the Vedic deity, the elephant is associated with rain and fertility. It was depicted on the seals excavated from Indus valley sites and on the Hindu and Buddhist architecture. Elephants are also a symbol of royalty. In Asian cultures, the elephant is a symbol of good luck, happiness and longevity and have been interpreted in the motif as the result of religion, customs, natural surroundings and social beliefs of that particular area to which its creator belongs. A motif is the most basic unit or the smallest unit of pattern. The motifs in textile design may be classified as geometric, realistic or natural, stylized and abstract and are linked to natural, cultural, religious and socio-economic factors prevailing in any society. Though always speculative, the meaning of the motifs used in decoration of textiles may change with cultural context but the symbolic meaning of various motifs remains the same wherever they are applied, be it the famous Pipli applique work of Orissa, Madhubani paintings of Bihar, Patola Ikat weaves of Gujarat, Pochampalli weaves of Andhra Pradesh or the little known Manjoosha painting of Bihar.Item Representation of Elephant in Tribal Art and Culture of Central India(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kumar, V.The Central India consists of plateaus and mountainous belt between Indo-gangtic plain to the north and roughly to the Krishna River to the south. Because of its central location, it is often called the ‘Heart of India’. The largest numbers of tribes are in the states of Odisha. Madhya Pradesh is the 2nd largest state of India. Each of these tribes has its own identity and culture which varies greatly from each other. The tribes have their distinct socio-economic, cultural, political and religious institutions which are part and parcel of cultural heritage of India. They have immensely contributed towards the history and culture of India. In the present paper, the tribal residing in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, south-eastern Rajasthan, northern Maharashtra, northern Telengana, northern Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, southern Utter Pradesh and south-western West Bengal are considered tribes of central India. The important tribes inhabiting in this zone are the Agaria, the Asur, the Baiga, the Bhils, the Bhuinya, the Bhumij, the Birhor, the Bondo, the Borida, the Gadava, the Ho, the Juang, the Kamar, the Katkari, the Kharia, the Kharia, the Kol, the Gonds, the Kondh, the Koraku, the Lodha, the Munda, the Muria, the Oraon, the Pardhan, the Santal / Santhal, the Savara etc. Elephants have been the subject of various cultural depictions in mythology, symbolism and popular culture of these tribal communities. They are both revered in religion and respected for their prowess in war. Ever since the Stone Age, when elephants were represented by ancient petroglyphs and cave art, they have been depicted in various forms of art, including pictures, sculptures and even architecture. Mahashweta Devi has shown that both Shiva and Kali have tribal origins as do Krishna and Ganesh. In the 8th century, the tribal forest goddess or harvest goddess was absorbed and adapted as Siva's wife. Ganesh owes its origins to a powerful tribe of elephant trainers whose incorporation into Hindu society was achieved through the deification of their elephant totem. In the present paper an attempt has been made to find out the representation of elephant motif in art of tribal communities of Gond, Baiga and others. An attempt has also been made to find out various legends, folktales and stories associated with their depiction in tribal art.