Living Archive

    Preserving India's folk traditions through digital storytelling

    Explore performance clips, oral histories, documentaries, and tutorials from folk artists across India. Every story matters. Every tradition deserves to be remembered.

    Featured Stories

    Oral History
    8 min
    Featured

    The Last Puppet Master of Rajasthan

    A rare look into the life of 82-year-old Bhanwar Lal, one of the last remaining Kathputli puppet masters in Jaipur. He shares his struggle to keep the tradition alive.

    Bhanwar Lal
    2,340
    Puppetry
    Rajasthan
    Performance
    3 min
    Featured

    Kalbelia Dance - Desert Rhythms

    Traditional Kalbelia dance performance at the Pushkar Fair. This snake-charmer community dance is now a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

    Gulabo Sapera
    5,680
    Folk Dance
    Rajasthan
    Documentary
    20 min
    Featured

    The Bamboo Weavers of Assam

    Documentary on the bamboo craft tradition of Northeast India. From daily use items to intricate art pieces, the weavers share their generations-old techniques.

    Ranjan Bora
    1,890
    Bamboo Craft
    Assam
    Oral History
    8 min

    The Last Puppet Master of Rajasthan

    A rare look into the life of 82-year-old Bhanwar Lal, one of the last remaining Kathputli puppet masters in Jaipur. He shares his struggle to keep the tradition alive.

    Bhanwar Lal
    2,340
    Puppetry
    Rajasthan
    Performance
    3 min

    Kalbelia Dance - Desert Rhythms

    Traditional Kalbelia dance performance at the Pushkar Fair. This snake-charmer community dance is now a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

    Gulabo Sapera
    5,680
    Folk Dance
    Rajasthan
    Documentary
    20 min

    The Bamboo Weavers of Assam

    Documentary on the bamboo craft tradition of Northeast India. From daily use items to intricate art pieces, the weavers share their generations-old techniques.

    Ranjan Bora
    1,890
    Bamboo Craft
    Assam
    Tutorial
    10 min

    Learning Madhubani - Basics

    A step-by-step tutorial on traditional Madhubani painting from Bihar. Learn the basic motifs and techniques from a practicing artist.

    Sita Devi
    3,450
    Painting
    Bihar
    Oral History
    12 min

    Baul Songs of Bengal - Migration Stories

    Purna Das Baul sings about the migration of Baul singers from rural Bengal. A moving oral history of patronage lost and tradition preserved through wandering.

    Purna Das Baul
    4,120
    Folk Music
    West Bengal
    Performance
    5 min

    Theyyam Ritual Performance

    Full Theyyam performance captured in Kannur, Kerala. This 12-hour ritual dance celebrates local deities and ancestral heroes of North Malabar.

    Kannan Peruvannan
    6,200
    Ritual Dance
    Kerala
    Tutorial
    15 min

    Patachitra Scroll Painting Process

    Watch the entire process of creating a Patachitra scroll painting from Odisha - from making natural colors to the final intricate artwork.

    Ananta Maharana
    2,780
    Painting
    Odisha
    Performance
    4 min

    Chhau Dance of Purulia

    Masked Chhau dance performance depicting scenes from the Mahabharata. Performed during the Chaitra Parva festival in West Bengal.

    Gambhir Singh Mura
    3,900
    Folk Dance
    West Bengal

    Contribute to the Archive

    Help preserve vanishing traditions. Upload performance clips, share oral histories, or contribute tutorials about folk art forms from your region.