Kolkata: Jadavpur University (JU) has collaborated with University of Liverpool for a project that demonstrates the power of collaborative research to open new pathways for understanding heritage. The project seeks to understand Jagadhatri Puja in Chandannagar as a living form of intangible heritage that reflects the creativity, resilience, and identity of the community.
It assumes significance with Durga Puja in Kolkata being included by UNESCO in the ‘Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.’
Supported by the Government of India’s SPARC scheme, the project “Redefining for India the Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage” sets out to rethink ICH in the country by examining it through both local contexts and global perspectives.
“Jagadhatri Puja festival particularly in Chandannagar is more than a religious celebration; it is a civic and cultural event that draws together diverse communities and trades. Workers in the light industry, skilled pith (shola) artisans, idol makers, and designers of elaborate tableaux all contribute to its creation. These groups, often working in fragile economic conditions, sustain cultural practices that embody both tradition and innovation. However, they are also vulnerable to decline, as mechanisation, lack of state recognition, and generational shifts threaten their continuity. The work in Chandannagar has involved conducting oral histories, recording interviews, and visually documenting the processes of artisanship and community organisation,” said Rahi Soren, co-investigator of the project from JU.
The project has been animated by a rich series of academic and community engagements. Workshops have been organised at JU, Ahmedabad University and in Alleppey. Soren added that one of the most ambitious outcomes of the project is the development of a university-level course on Culture and Heritage at JU. This course is envisioned as a pioneering step in embedding heritage studies within the Indian academic curriculum. Drawing on the insights and methodologies cultivated through the SPARC project, the course will introduce students to oral history, ethnography, archival research, and policy analysis.
The SPARC project demonstrates the power of collaborative research to open new pathways for understanding heritage. “By focusing on Chandannagar and Jagadhatri Puja while extending our inquiry to diverse contexts across India, we have foregrounded the importance of community participation, global exchange, and academic innovation,” she added.
The project envisions intangible heritage not as something to be safeguarded passively but as something to be studied, interpreted, and sustained in dynamic dialogue.