THEMATIC BACKGROUND

Folklore forms a vibrant, living thread across cultures, shaping how communities understand themselves, their histories, and their place in the world. Encompassing oral traditions, music, beliefs, rituals, performances, crafts, and other creative practices passed down through generations, folklore acts as a shared reservoir of memory and meaning. It strengthens social bonds by connecting individuals to a collective past while guiding them through the present. In today's rapidly globalising world-where cultural identities often face pressures of homogenisation-folklore offers communities a grounding force, helping them preserve distinct ways of knowing and being. Far from being a peripheral or antiquated field, folklore brings rich philosophical, sociological, and imaginative insights that illuminate questions of culture, politics, ecology, identity, and economy through alternative, community-rooted perspectives. Within India, its significance grows even further as efforts intensify to revitalise local knowledge systems and advance decolonised modes of learning. By foregrounding diverse community traditions, folklore provides a dynamic lens through which to envision a confident, plural, and future-oriented knowledge landscape.