MADHYA PRADESH PROJECTS
BUNDHELKHAND
SITUATED BETWEEN THE INDO-GANGETIC PLAIN AND THE VINDHYA RANGE
Known after the Bundela Rajputs who descended from the Orchha clan and came to power after Chandellas.
Bundelkhand situated between the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Vindhya Range among the undulating steep hills stretching out monumentally, rising abruptly from the vast plains, the in-numerous dwindling rivers, forest covers, mines, which was once invaded through centuries due to its unbounded richness and heritage.
In Madhya Pradesh it includes Datia, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Vidisha etc. Locally inhabited by tribal(adivasis) who were initially hunters and gatherers, the region holds a rich historical background with ruins of local temples and majestic forts and legacy of kingdoms. It is known as Bundelkhand after the Bundella Rajputs who descended from the Orchha clan and came to power after Chandellas.
BAGHELKHAND
SITUATED WITHIN THE VINDHYACHAL RANGE, IT COVERS THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF MADHYA PRADESH
The Baghels, who give their name to the region, are a branch of the Solanki who once ruled in Gujarat and migrated eastward in the 13th century.
Baghelkhand is a region within a mountain range that covers the northeastern regions of Madhya Pradesh and a small area of south-eastern Uttar Pradesh. It includes the Madhya Pradesh districts of Rewa, Satna, Shahdol, Sidhi, and Singrauli and Chitrakoot of Uttar Pradesh. The Baghels, who give their name to the region, are a branch of the Solanki who once ruled in Gujarat and migrated eastward in the 13th century.
Baghelkhand has traditionally been neglected because of its isolated location. The population of the region consists chiefly of tribal Gonds and Kols. Agriculture is underdeveloped but rich in deposits of coal, limestone, bauxite, clay, and quartzite among which the first two have been mined extensively. Unlike Bundelkhand region, Baghelkhand is very less documented.
Archiving Awareness: Building and Knowledge Sharing Through Art
Research and knowledge should return and reach the people of the region in formats that are easily accessible and which help them realize its value. Steps to preserve and archive inherited knowledge can also function as resources for future work.
As indigenous knowledge is threatened with the death of the community’s senior citizens who have not passed it onto the younger generation, it seems necessary to create intergenerational connections within the community and foster the transfer of such legacies.
DD has initiated this process with the guidance and support from experts and institutions such as Madhya Pradesh Tourism, INTACH, and the Archaeological Survey of India, it potentially builds a bilingual, audio-visual archive to be housed on site as well as online.
Open Forum: Community Engagements and Co-Creation
In the second phase, an Open forum organised at Art Ichol opened discussions, presentations and exchange with DD collaborative team, expert collaborators working in various sections of the society who were invited to join the team to widen their approach, address various identified issues, create awareness and build strategies to work towards an efficient capacity building plan in future within the community.
All collaborators conducted specifically out of the box community workshops with various sections of the community, co-creating and evolving new
dialogues through innovative interactions using art as a mode of bonding.
