Thoidingjam Lakshmipriya Devi talks about the Jalakeli. She is the President of the Shree Shree Govinda Jiu Jalakeli Pala. The interview is in Manipuri and in 8 parts: 1) How I came to the Jalakeli 2) My mother Maharaj Kumari Angousana Devi 3) My grandmother Maharani Dhanamanjuri Devi: How she started the Choir of the Daughters-in-Law 4) The Songs of the Choir of the Daughters: The Patronage of the Maharajas 5) How I organize the Jalakeli 6) My aunt Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi: Why she never joined the Jalakeli 7) Where and When the Jalakeli is Offered 8) Remembering their Names: The Invisibility of Women in Manipur's Recorded History The Jalakeli is a HIndu Vaishnav women's performance ritual offered by the two choirs of the Shree Shree Govinda Jiu Jalakeli Pala. The main summer ritual is held every year on Buddha Purnima, the full moon of Kalen (9 May 2017) at the Shree Shree Govindajee Temple of the Royal Palace of Manipur. It is a cycle of songs sung in classical Manipuri sankirtana style by the royal women descendants of Maharaja Narasingh of Manipur (1792-1850). The songs praise Lord Krishna and Lady Radha as they come out to play with …

Retelling of the Pear Story by Angam Sankhil of Hyderabad.

Recording of a telling of the Pear Story by Leivon Steney Lamkang in Hyderabad, India.

Photograph of member of the India Venture Fund Group Jane Lorenzen, with fellow members Levi Acord and Janette Klein.

Recording of Melissa Robinson eliciting verb prefixes with the syllable tapping experiment. The recording was done on in Hyderabad as part of the research trip which as part of the University of North Texas India Venture Fund research trip.

Transcription of a retelling of Naaspati paomin (the Pear Story), as narrated by Beshot Khullar of Phaaidaam Village.

Transcription of Robert Leivon narrating "The Pear Story," a popular story that is a commonly-used linguistic tool, including an English translation.

Transcription of a retelling of the Pear Story as narrated by Kennedy Dilbung of Charangching Khunkha village.

Photograph of young Lamkang speakers commenting on a Lamkang narrative with Melissa Robinson and Jane Lorenzen in the computational linguistics conference room at IIIT-Hyderabad.

Elicitation on verb stem alternation. Recorded in Old Bagbahar.

Elicitation on verb stem alternation. Recorded in Old Bagbahar.

Retelling of the Pear Story. Recorded in Old Bagbahar.

Personal narrative about migration. Recorded in Old Bagbahar.

Elicitation on verb stem alternation. Recorded in Old Bagbahar.

Villagers of Jajikona Village introduce themselves and describe the festival, Jali Putuli Haba, or 'wedding of fake idols'. This is a traditional festival of the Bodo community, but not so common nowadays. It is still found in the Kamrup District of Assam, for example in Jajikona (Jarkona) village. The villagers believe that this festival is still rewarding. Here, two idols, bride and groom, made of straw are decorated with new clothes, colors, and garlands. Certain rituals are performed by the elderly people accompanied by music, song and dance while decorating the idols at one of the households. The main celebration takes place the next day when the idols are placed auspiciously within a cage specially built with banana trees and its barks. It is celebrated in an open field where all the villagers gather, offer prayers, and sing and dance in merriment to invoke and seek blessings from God. They believe that this particular ritual is performed in the name of Rain God, Deba Bwrai and Debi Burwi, Rawna and Rawni (Thunder and Lightening) for sufficient rain and good crops before they start farming activities in Summer.

Photograph of two Srinagar Burushaski speakers: Hasina (left) an Zamrooda Begum (AKA 'Mimi')

Photograph of Dr. Sadaf Munshi with Raja Jamsheed Ali Khan, a Srinagar Burushaski speaker.

Photograph of Raja Jamsheed Ali Khan and Hasina, two Srinagar Burushaski speakers.

Photograph of Dr. Sadaf Munshi with Hasina Safdar, a Srinagar Burushaski speaker

Photograph of Raja Jamsheed Ali Khan, a Srinagar Burushask speaker.

Photograph of Srinagar Burushaski speaker Hasina with field assistant Abul Hassan

Photograph of the neighbourhood in Srinagar where majority of the Burushaski speakers are settled. The historic Hariparbat Fort is visible on the horizon.

Photograph of Mahrukh Zahra, a young Srinagar Burushaski speaker.

Photograph of Safdar and Mehboob, Srinagar Burushaski speakers Raja Safdar Ali Khan and Raja Mehboob Ali Khan.