After Elwin: Encounters with Tribal Life in Central IndiaThis book is a travelogue with a difference, from the middle of 1970s to as recently as Janurary 2006, the author has been travelling to remote tribal areas of Central India and recording his experiences, impressions and interactions with the people in these places. These experiences are juxatapose with the writings of Verrier Elwin who lived and travelled in these areas and wrote a corpus of classic anthropological works. Das Gupta discovered Elwin`s writing by chance and was inspired to revisit and reconstruct the tribal world that age latter so loved. Starting as a hesitant traveller tring to verify his readings, Das Gupta is gradually drawn into a separate reality of which he is witness, observer and reluctant participant. His quest concludes only after he is able to piece together the puzzle about Elwin, the man. |
Common terms and phrases
afternoon amongst Anthropological appeared Baiga bamboo Bastar became Bondo boys Calcutta called central ceremony chelik clearing close cloth collection couple dancing deity Dongar drums earlier early east Elwin eyes face feet fields fire five followed forests four friends further ghotul girls gods going Gonds ground hand head hills India interest Jagdalpur Jaidev kilometres Kondagaon later leaves light lived looked mango Maria marriage mentioned Merton College morning motiari moved Muria Nagpur Narainpur night notes occasional Officer once Oxford passed past person playing possibly practice reference reports rice river road Saora seemed seen sense short shoulder side singing songs Soon started stayed stood stream temple took travelling trees tribal tribes turned University usually Verrier village wide women young