From the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief

After we study folklore in Indian context, we explore that the discipline need redefined. The 20th century definition of folklore study in western world, whether relevant to the eastern countries is a matter of debate. After we come across the philosophy of life, culture and folklore of Asian countries we see a common paradigm in it which is so connected to the ground and tradition that folklore that is philosophically represented in western world is different from Asian world. The theories and methods that have emerged from the western world is based on the text and context of their own land, more particularly influenced by the colonial anthropological model ,with an Eurocentric and hegemonic academic predominance. For an Asian scholar, folklore is not a part of his objective study, but the scholar is a part of a living folkloric tradition. This has been proved when we see the study of Asian or African folklore .Even indigenous folklore has been also always looked from the western folkloric model. The non-European folklore was studied and it was rather distorted, misunderstood, and misrepresented by many white scholars. Consider the case of Indian folklore. Many western folklorists have come to India to study folklore, but they have not properly understood the pulse of the people’s knowledge system and this folk lore study some way has been the ideal model for many Indian folklorists.

Indian folklore is not like western folklore. Indian cultural diversities, multilingualism and multiculturalism has not only created a colourful and complexities of culture in this land, but also has created a space of accommodating the many culture intersected and co-existed in web of social imagination and social reality. Past and present are closely alive in our life. While the ancestors do watch the wellbeing of their present generation , invisibly, the present generation also feel the presence of their ancestor in their everyday life. Indian folklore cannot rests in its text , but in its every day cultural practices. Here, Indian folklorist is also a part of the cultural practices and not an out sider, even if s/he belongs to Delhi or Chennai. Thus the objective study of folklore keeping away the self somewhere during the study . I have come across the articles and books written by the Indian scholars study their own land and culture from a foreigner point of view. A scholar is not a foreigner in his own country. The notion of separating the researcher from the study reminds me of secluding mind from the matter that the western world has contributed as its
greatest philosophical invention. In Indian or Asian situation, if you segregate mind from the matter , then the whole epistemology of Indian philosophy will be distorted. Indian philosophy believes in metaphysics and imagine beyond the physics. Now we have to decide , if we are really doing good research following the structures of borrowed models or to bring out a model which has emerged from the necessity of conducting a research which is based on the text ,context and epistemology of one’s own land. We also have to ethically examine, why do we conduct research and study on our own culture and what we really want to do with these findings? Is this findings is
exclusively for us or for our social development?

I am sure that , folklore study have nothing to influence the creator of folklore or to influence the society.Buddhi Vilasa- enjoying the intellectuality for self-pleasure and ego satisfaction for selfidentity and applying the intellectuality for the wellbeing of the folk are two different things. As a scholar of India , we have to decide , whether we decolonise the folklore methods or to perpetuate the status quo. This volume The fifth- sixth volume of Lokaratna, an e journal for Indian folklore is coming out after a substantial contribution from the folklorists and scholars. I am thankful to the contributors of this volume for their valuable contributions.This volume is edited by Dr Anand
Mahanand of EFL University, Hyderabad. He has taken this responsibility on humble request of folklore foundation. He wished to be called the guest editor. We, as a family don’t consider a person who edits the whole volume as guest but one of us. This volume is literally edited by him and I am thankful to him. I am also thankful to Ajit K.Pradhan and Sadananda Meher for their support. I am thankful to Sri MD Muthukumarswamy,Director, National Folklore Support
Centre,Chennai for his untiring support to Folklore Foundation to get the Lokaratna published in his website.
This volume was to be published during 2012, but due to some unavoidable circumstances, it
was not possible to bring it out. Therefore we decided to publish theLokaratna V-VI during
2013. We hope you will enjoy reading your favourite LOKARATNA !

Mahendra Kumar Mishra