Recent Research: Selbst-Spiegelungen am Anderen Zur Ambivalenz kultureller Begegnungen in Ladakh (Self-reflections on the others: the ambivalence of cultural encounters in Ladakh)

Professor Dr Alfred Schäfer is a professor of education at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. His book Selbst-Spiegelungen am Anderen Zur Ambivalenz kultureller Begegnungen in Ladakh (Self-reflections on the others: the ambivalence of cultural encounters in Ladakh) is currently on sale and may be of interest to German language speakers. The book is based on recent research in Ladakh, which was conducted with the assistance of Kati Illmann since 2010.
In this book, Schäfer examines the impacts upon Ladakhi identities as a result of mutual self-reflection of tourists and Ladakhi, and the negotiation of identity in the context of a changing social landscape. The analysis details the ways in which both tourists and Ladakhi come to reflect upon themselves and the others.
Tourist discourses show an ambivalence towards the otherness of others. On the one hand the otherness is emphasized as important opportunity for their own experiences and on the other hand this otherness is simultaneously to be understood only as result of the visitors’ own creation.
The Ladakhi discourses show that people of Ladakh are offset by tourism in a challenging relationship to their own identity due to the changes. They are not only urged to conduct themselves according to their own identity in the tense field between tradition and change, but they are confronted with the impossibility of being able to do so from a shared position. The resulting ambivalence and ambiguity of the references of a Ladakhi identity are based on the constitutive problem of a self-reflecting relationship.
The book can be purchased at this site for Eur 29: http://www.schoeningh.de/katalog/titel/978-3-506-77958-8.html

New publication: Art and Architecture in Ladakh

We are pleased to announce the publication of Art and Architecture in Ladakh. Cross-cultural Transmissions in the Himalayas and Karakoram. Edited by Erberto Lo Bue and John Bray. Leiden: Brill.

The book consists of 17 research papers, mainly drawn from the 2007, 2009 and 2011 IALS conferences. Their topics range widely over time, from prehistoric rock art to mediaeval Buddhist stupas and wall paintings, as well as early modern castle architecture, the inter-regional trade in silk brocades, and the challenges of 21st century conservation. Taken together, these studies complement each other to provide a detailed view of Ladakh’s varied cultural inheritance in the light of the latest research.

A pdf of the introduction, which will tell you more about the contents of the book, is available on the IALS website: 

http://ladakhstudies.org/resources/Publications/Conference-Proceedings/01-Lo-Bue-Bray-Introduction.pdf

For information on how to order the book, please consult the Brill website at: www.brill.com/products/book/art-and-architecture-ladakh. 

The listed price is €149 or USD194. IALS members may apply for a 25% discount, valid until 31 December 2014. If you wish to make use of this offer, please send an e-mail to John Bray (JNBray1957@yahoo.co.uk) to request an application form.

Conference on sustainable development in Leh, 9-10 June

The Initiative for Social Change and Action (ISCA) in collaboration with Government Degree College, Leh, is organizing a seminar on "Ladakh: challenges and opportunities for sustainable socio-economic development" from 9-10  June, 2014.

The organisers have issued a call for papers on the following topics:

·        Opportunities for Jammu & Kashmir, particularly in Ladakh, in the new global and national geo-political context

·        Social, Cultural and Economic dimensions

·        Resources and their management for Sustainable Regional Development

·        Inter and Intra regional disparities and inequalities and their ameliorating   strategies

·        Use of new technological tools and Innovation ( GIS and RS ) towards reducing regional disparities

·        Infrastructure Development for Conflict resolution and geography of peace

For more details see www.isca.org.in/ and http://ladakhconference.wordpress.com/

PRESIDENT OF INDIA INTERACTS WITH J&K TABLAEUX ARTISTS AT RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN.

The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee warmly interacted with Jammu & Kashmir State Tableaux Artists today at his residence Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

The President appreciated the performance and Tableaux design of the J&K State which depicted the Nomadic Culture of the Jammu and Kashmir State showing Changpa of Ladakh, Gujjar-Bakkarwal of Kashmir and Gaddi of Jammu region.

The State Tableaux was presented by J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages and designed by eminent Artist Veer Munshi.

Recent Research on Ladakh volume (1983) now online

The original Recent Research on Ladakh volume, edited by Detlef Kantowsky and Reinhard Sander, is now available online on the IALS website: www.ladakhstudies.org/resources/styled-2/rrol.html.

This is the proceedings of the first of what has become a series of international conferences on Ladakh, held in Konstanz, West Germany, in 1981. The book contains 19 papers on a range of topics from history and anthropology to the natural environment and contemporary social developments such as tourism. Many of the papers broke new ground in their fields, and they remain of value to contemporary researchers.

Many thanks to Gareth Wall for scanning the book and to Seb Mankelow, the IALS webmaster, for posting it.

John Bray

Conference: Geohazards, Resource Sustainability and Mountain Response to Global Change

Notification of the forthcoming International Conference on "Geohazards, Resource Sustainability and Mountain Response to Global Change" (see: http://www.homeofgeography.org/uk/events_2013/Srinagar-2014.pdf). The conference is being held on the 4th and 5th of June 2014, at the University of Kashmir, India. It is co-organized by the International Geographical Union (IGU) and the department of Geography of the University of Kashmir. The abstract deadline has been fixed for the 15th of March 2014.

Counterinsurgency, Democracy, and the Politics of Identity in India

Mona Bhan’s new book Counterinsurgency, Democracy, and the Politics of Identity in India has just been published by Routledge. The book focuses on Kargil district, and draws on extensive research in several sites across the region, from Brogpa border villages to military bases and state offices. Click here for further details.

open access to Ladakh Special Edition

Further to our post on the 29th August highlighting the Ladakh Special Edition of Himalaya: The Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, we would like to make readers aware that the edition is now online with open access. Click here to view.

Imported food-grain in Leh district

For those with an interest in Ladakhi agriculture and self-sufficiency, Vladimiro Pelliciardi's paper 'From self-sufficiency to dependence on imported food-grain in Leh district (Ladakh, Indian Trans-Himalaya)' has been published in the European Journal of Sustainable Development (2013), 2, 3, pp.109-122. The paper investigates Leh District's dependence on imported food-grain, presenting results as an Import Dependency Ratio (IDR) for 2012 with a projected value for 2025. The paper is free to access here.

Collection of papers on contemporary Ladakh

Himalaya: The Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, has recently published a collection of papers on contemporary Ladakh. The special edition includes contributions of IALS members Jonathan Demenge, Radhika Gupta, Salomeé Deboos, Jennifer Aengst and a literature review from John Bray. Himalaya is a biannual peer-reviewed journal that aims to cover all aspects of Himalayan Studies. It publishes original research articles, short field reports, conference reports and literature and photo essays from the Himalayas. Those wishing to read the special edition can subscribe to the journal through the Himalaya webpage here: <http://himalayajournal.org>. Back copies of the journal can be accessed electronically through the archive, and the current edition will eventually be available here: (http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/).

On a related note, the 3^rd Association of Nepal and Himalayan Studies (ANHS – home of the Himalaya journal) Himalayan Studies Conference that will be held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA from Friday 14 March to Sunday 16 March 2014 (see link http://hsc2014.commons.yale.edu/). The theme of the conference will focus upon the idea of communities within and across the Himalaya, partnerships between scholars, governments and citizens, and communities of practice that support Himalayan Studies. The Organising Committee will consider papers that do not explicitly address this theme, but participants are encouraged to consider the role in their presentation. THE DEADLINE FOR THE PAPER CALL IS 30^TH SEPTEMBER 2013. The IALS would like to encourage Ladakhi researchers to use this conference and similar conferences as a platform to present their work‑and Ladakh‑to a wider audience. Those interested in participating should visit the website for details of the “call for papers” and panel themes. Participation is restricted to ANHS members, and the webpage gives details of how to become a member.

HCHF felicitates 2011 Best Book Awardees

MORUP STANZIN LHARJAY 


LEH, JULY 3: The Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF), an NGO based in Ladakh hosted a reception to honour the recipients of Best Book Award-2011 conferred by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. The awardees included well known writer Abdu Gani Sheikh for his book "Reflection on Ladakh, Tibet and Central Asia" written in English and Urgyan Rigzin for "Nub-ra'I gNas-bShad" in Bhoti Language published by HCHF.


During a simple function organized by HCHF at Lonpo House, the recipients were offered traditional Khataks and gifts by the HCHF President Prof. Geshes Konchok Wangdu in presences of J&K Special Officer for Culture Academy Tsewang Paljor, Diskit constituency Councilor Tsewang Rigzin and other dignitaries. 


HCHF Founder Secretary Dr. Sonam Wangchuk in his welcome speech thanked everyone for attending the function to encourage the writers and assured to produce the English version of "Nub-ra'I gNas-bShad" in the second edition.
While congratulating the Awardees, various speakers appreciated their works and said that their books would be helpful to various other writers in future to get references besides encouraging the other young writers.

During the function various Ladakhi writers such as Gelong Paldan, Gani Sheikh, Geshes Konchok Wangdus and Ladakh Culture Forum President Norboo Martse in one voice criticized a number of non-Ladakhi writers for giving wrong information about Ladakh in their writings which are now widely used by other writers for reference resulting in mass dissemination of incorrect information about Ladakh. 

Expressing concern over limited number of writers and readers in Leh, Gani Sheikh stressed upon the need for grooming the young students into good writers by encouraging them through competitions and lectures in schools so that they developed the writing and reading habits from early age.

Expressing gratitude to his teacher for encouragement, Urgyan Rigzin in his speech said that though he is not a professional writer but somehow he got inspired by a writer Kachen Zotpa who wrote a small book on Nobra adding that he started writing the book 15 years ago. He thanked HCHF for reposing faith in him by publishing his book. He also thanked the J&K Cultural Academy for recognizing his work.
http://www.greaterjammu.com/2013/20130704/state.html

Two-day Silk Route Festival concludes

STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH: Two-day Silk Route Festival 2013 concluded at Sand Dune Leisure Park Summur, Nobra on Tuesday. The festival was organised by Samstan Otzer Tsogspa in collaboration with Himalayan Culture Heritage Foundation.
Chief Executive Councilor (CEC), LAHDC,  Rigzin Spalbar was the Chief Guest and EC Health, Dr. Sonam Wangchok, EC Agriculture, Sonam Dorje, EC Tourism, Gurmet Dorje, MLA Nubra, Tsetan Namgyal and Former Union Minister, P. Namgyal were the Guests of Honour on the occasion.
The main attraction of the festival was archery, camel riding and colourful cultural programme.
Gurmet Dorjey said that the main reason behind the growing tourist in Ladakh is its rich cultural heritages and urged upon the people to promote the rich cultural heritage. He assured that LAHDC would provide financial assistance for conservation and promotion of cultural values and is also taking necessary measure for protection of bacterian camel in Nubra through Animal Husbandry Department.
Speaking on the occasion, Spalbar congratulated the Samstan Otzer Tsogspa and Himalayan Culture Heritage Foundation to start the festival with a vision to promote the cultural heritage in the area and expressed hope that they will also work to strengthen the identity of Ladakh through its cultural preservation. CEC said that this festival should be promoted to attract more tourists to Nubra valley which in turn will result in the economic development of the region. He also suggested the Samstan Otzer Tsogspa to prepare a policy project for necessary financial assistance from Central as well as State Government to execute developmental works in the area as per the need of the people.
Tsetan Namgyal expressed thanks to CEC and ECs and other guests for participating in the festival and said that through this festival they intend to publicise the Sumoor sand dune as a tourist destination.  Councilor Tigar Rigzin Wangdus also spoke on the occasion.

Contributions for the Next Ladakh Studies Journal Edition

The Ladakh Studies editorial team is canvassing for articles to be included in the 30^th edition of the Ladakh Studies journal. If you have a research paper (max 4,000 words) or book review, news item or “notes from the field”(max 2,000 words) that you would like to be considered for the next Edition, please email your draft paper to Ladakh Studies Journal editor Sunetro Ghosal and the editorial team at journal@ladakhstudies.org by Wednesday, 31^st July 2013.

Ladakhi artists paint Tibetan mythical figures, auspicious symbols

STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH:  The fortnight-long International Mural Painters’ Camp came to end on Saturday evening at Kottayam with the Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy declaring Kottayam the Mural City by the State Government, with mural paintings by 350 artists adorning every available wall in the city, in the biggest effort in India to take out its murals from the confines of temples and churches.
Two Ladakhis, Tashi Samdup and Tsewang Stanzin, both students of renowned Thanka painter, Padmashree Tsering Wangdus represented Ladakh by participating in the international camp and painted mythical figures and auspicious symbols of Tibetan art on the walls in Kottayam, Kerala.
The International Mural Painting Camp organised by Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Kottayam was earlier inaugurated by K.C Joseph, Minister for Culture and local MLA Thiruvanoor Radhakrishnan at the Thirunakkara Temple premises to transform Kottayam into a Mural City as around 300 artists and experts from different parts of the country and also from abroad including Italy, Germany, Korea, Portugal, Canada demonstrated different styles of mural paintings. International seminar, exhibition and discussion were also held as part of the programme.
The International Seminar was inaugurated by Secretary Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF) Ladakh, Dr Sonam Wangchok with a presentation on ‘mythical tales and auspicious symbols depicted in Tibetan paintings’.  Kottayam, the city often referred to as the city of ‘letters, latex and lakes’, saw participation of more than 300 artists from different states and abroad, who worked with artists from Kerala, turning the whole town into a canvas of sorts and enriching walls at various locations in the city with a rich collection of mural paintings.  Sources say that the mural paintings drawn by the artists will become permanent exhibits at public places all over the town including public libraries, town hall, educational institutions, places of worship and the railway station. The two Ladakhi artists painted mythical figures and auspicious symbols of Tibetan art on a huge entrance wall of Darsana Culture Centre and Darsana Academy in Kottayam.
Kottayam, hailed as the first complete literate city in the country, now has another title to boast as the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has declared it as a Mural City. It becomes the second Mural City in the country after Shekhawati in Rajasthan.