Bulu Imam

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Bulu Imam
Bulu Imam.jpg
Bulu Imam, Gandhi Foundation, London, 2012
Born (1942-08-31) 31 August 1942 (age 81)
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Environmentalist, writer
Known forTribal art and culture
Relatives Sir Syed Hasan Imam (Grandfather) Sir Syed Ali Imam (Great Uncle)
Awards Padma Shri (2019)

Bulu Imam (born 31 August 1942) is an environmental activist working for the protection of tribal culture and heritage in Jharkhand. [1] On 12 June 2012, he received the Gandhi International Peace Award, 2011 at the House of Lords in London. [2] [3] He is also a recipient of the Padma Shri (2019). [4] He is the grandson of Syed Hasan Imam, who was a leading Barrister and Judge of Calcutta High Court (1912–1916), and the President of the Indian National Congress (Bombay Session, 1918). His daughter, Cherry is married to Kunwar Ashish Bir Singh Tekari of Tekari Raj.

Contents

Since 1987, he has been the Convenor of INTACH Hazaribagh Chapter, and in 1991, discovered the first rock art of Jharkhand at Isco, and subsequently over dozen rock art site in the North Karanpura Valley. In 1993, he brought to light the Khovar [5] (marriage) art, and then the Sohrai (harvest) murals painted on the walls of the mud houses of the Hazaribagh villages. He showed the connection between the region's rock art and the painted village houses. By 1995, he established the Sanskriti Museum & Art Gallery in Hazaribagh along with Tribal Women Artists Cooperative (TWAC) have promoted the tribal art of the region, holding over 50 international exhibitions of Sohrai and Khovar paintings in Australia, Europe, and UK. He is the author of the book Bridal Caves (INTACH, New Delhi, 1995); Antiquarian Remains of Jharkhand (Aryan Books International, New Delhi, 2014), [6] written monographs on tribes like the Birhors and the Santhals. He has made several films on tribal art and culture of Jharkhand. He is a researcher and an authority in fields related to archaeology, tribal and rock art, vernacular folklore and history.

Recent publications

Films and documentaries

Awards

Research papers

Related Research Articles

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Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It is the 15th largest state by area, and the 14th largest by population. Hindi is the official language of the state. The city of Ranchi is its capital and Dumka its sub-capital. The state is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places; Baidyanath Dham, Parasnath, Dewri and Rajrappa are major religious sites. Jharkhand is primarily rural, with about 24% of its population living in cities.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanskriti Museum & Art Gallery</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sohrai and Khovar painting</span> Mural art practiced in the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand, India

Sohrai and Khovar are aboriginal methods of wall painting or mural prevalent in the eastern part of India, particularly in the Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. The art is related to the festival of Sohrai which is celebrated during the autumn months after the Hindu festival of Diwali. Khovar painting specifically relates marriage rituals among the tribes in the region. It is celebrated after the monsoon season and at the start of the paddy harvest season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tribal Women Artists Cooperative</span> Art collective in India

The Tribal Women Artists Cooperative (TWAC) was initially founded by Bulu Imam in 1993 out of a Tribal Art Project funded by the Australian High Commission, New Delhi. The cooperative continues to be directed by Bulu Imam, Padma Shri awardee (2019) as a social worker for promoting the ritual Khovar and Sohrai mural painting tradition, benefiting thousands of village women, and has gained international recognition through several exhibitions in major art galleries around the world.

References

  1. Tan, Dawn (17 May 2011). "There's No Miracle Water Here". asia! through Asian Eyes. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  2. Deogharia, Jaideep (28 May 2012). "Bulu Imam, Binayak Sen to receive Gandhi award in UK". The Times of India . Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  3. Popham, Peter (12 July 2010). "A Gandhi of the Indian jungle". The Independent . Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  4. "Jharkhand's Female Tribal Crusader, Environmentalist And A Poor Man's Doctor Get Padma Shri". enewsroom. 27 January 2019.
  5. "BiharDays » Two great art forms from Jharkhand: Sohrai and Khovar!". www.bihardays.com. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  6. 1 2 Padel, Felix (March–April 2016). "Testament to the Past: Review of Antiquarian Remains of Jharkhand by Bulu Imam". Resurgence (295).
  7. Imam, Bulu (2015). The Nomadic Birhors of Hazaribagh: Their Life, Art, Songs, Folklore, & Ethnobotany. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. p. 336. ISBN   978-3-659-68133-2.
  8. Administrator. "Interkreuzhain - "The one-eared elephant from Hazaribagh"". www.interkreuzhain.de. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  9. "Search for the First Dog - Open". Vimeo. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  10. "Search for the First Dog". Sweetspot Pictures. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  11. "Jharkhand's unsung heroes: Two environmentalists and a doc gets the Padma". Enewsroom.in. 27 January 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  12. "The Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award 2011". The Gandhi Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.