Changes in the Bardic traditions of Gujarat

Abstract

This project is to understand the importance of bards in culture, Specifically in culturally rich Saurashtra of Gujarat. Here, one can witness the solidness of the belief and pride in their heritage, which is becoming obsolete in the rapid and blind modernizing word of today. Bardic Communities like Barots and Charans have played an important role in this. Because their way of living heavily depends on the traditions which carry the culture as well as their inherited folk literature, which is a regional industry itself which has imbibe the new technology of the present day.There has to be a path that these communities passed through to reach their current status. There was a socio-political system in the past that depended on these communities. I took Charans and Barots initially as they are the most influential of all the bardic communities in Gujarat as well as most well-known also. Today what we see them as a result of their journey, this project is to uncover the narrative of their story and co-relate the different node in past to translate the history into a logical analysis, employing ethnographic methods, with historical and social literature.