π Complete Programme (30 April β 10 May 2026)
π 30th April (Thursday)
1st & 4th Floor: Smt. Rita Bhimani conducts visitors on a tour of demonstrations & exhibitions, meet artists, view reproductions of paintings and videos with voice recordings from the Volkerkundemuseum der Universitat Zurich (VMZ).
1st Floor: Museum of Santal Culture, Bishnubati, curated and explained by Sri Boro Baski. Collection of Santal artifacts explained by curator. Display of antique Santal jewellery (private collection). Bidisa Anthropology Museum, The Institute of Social Research and Applied Anthropology.
5:30 PM: Lecture demonstration on "Interface of Santal and Classical Dance Forms, at Shantiniketan" by Mallika Sarabhai, Director, Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Ahmedabad.
7:00 PM: Fashion show by Lipsa Hembram showcasing Santal saris "Galang Gabaan".
π 1st May (Friday) β International Symposium
Convenors: Ruby Palchaudhuri, Alicja Kruseustern, Kumkum Bhattacharya and Chandana De
11:10 β 11:40 AM: Professor Peter Andersen, Faculty, Department of Religious Studies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
11:45 AM β 12:40 PM: Dr. Daniel Widmer and Dr. Patrick Ouvrard, General Practitioners of Medicine, Switzerland and France respectively.
12:45 β 1:20 PM: Professor Binoy Saren, Faculty, Institute of Agricultural Sciences.
1:30 β 2:30 PM: LUNCH BREAK
2:35 β 3:15 PM: Session III β Chairperson: Professor Peter Andersen.
2:30 β 3:10 PM: Mr. Kumar Rana, Director, Institute for Human Development, Eastern Regional Centre, Ranchi.
3:15 β 3:50 PM: Retired Professor Kumkum Bhattacharya β a short note on lyricism of the Santal language.
4:00 PM: Videography β Films on Santal culture β curation, explanation and courtesy: Anthropological Survey of India (1st floor).
4:30 β 4:45 PM: Rapporteur's presentation.
5:30 PM: Santali songs of Soil & Toil by Ranjan Prassad Das & The Seagulls (Ex Chief Architect, Government of West Bengal, Professor of Architecture, and Musician).
7:00 PM: Fashion show at the Auditorium β Presented by Lipsa Hembram, Mayrbnaj with 5 Santal models, showcasing draping of Santal saris.
Display of masks, musical instruments and other Santal artifacts continues on 1st & 4th floor.
π 2nd May (Saturday)
10:30 AM: International Symposium at the Auditorium coordinated by Smt Kumkum Bhattacharya & Smt Chandana Dey. Keynote address by Ashoke Chatterjee.
Session I (Chairperson: Dr. Daniel Widmer):
11:30 AM β 12:00 PM: Professor Ashoke Chatterjee, Former Director, NID, Ahmedabad, will deliver the Special Lecture.
12:30 β 1:00 PM: Professor Onkar Prasad: Former Faculty, Department of Anthropology and Rural Studies, Visva-Bharati University.
1:10 β 1:40 PM: Dr. Indrani Bhattacharya, CEO, CINI, Food Culture of the Santals.
1:50 β 2:20 PM: Dr. Rahi Soren, Faculty, Department of Oceanography, Jadavpur University, Creation of a Santal Archive.
2:30 β 3:00 PM: Ms. Ipil Baski.
LUNCH BREAK
Session II (Chairperson: Dr. Patrick Ouvrard):
2:30 β 3:30 PM: Screening of the AnSI documentary on the marriage of Sm. Manjushri Bhattacharya and Dr. Barka Soren and presentation by Manjushri Soren.
3:30 β 3:50 PM: Ms. Kushni Soren: Experience of Mainstreaming.
3:55 β 4:10 PM: Ms. Padma and Ms. Ruby Tudu.
4:15 β 4:30 PM: Rapporteur's presentation.
6:30 PM: Lecture β Sauravesar Sen "Entrepreneurship & Employment Opportunities with Tribal Ecosystem and Value Chain in India".
Exposition, showcasing and demonstrating Santali arts and crafts and films, with training workshops for registered applicants, continues (1st & 4th floor).
π 3rd May (Sunday)
10:30 AM: International Symposium at the Auditorium, coordinated by Smt. Kumkum Bhattacharya & Smt. Chandana Dey.
Session I (Chairperson: Dr. Patrick Ouvrard):
10:00 β 10:45 AM: Dr. Boro Baski, Santal Museum β Role and Impact.
10:50 β 11:20 AM: Ms. Ahana Majumdar, Santal textile tradition, a saga of displacement, loss and regaining the threads of identity.
11:25 AM β 1:15 PM: Santal textile and drape, a ramp walk.
1:15 β 1:30 PM: Rapporteur's presentation.
LUNCH BREAK
Session II (Chairperson: Ms. Manjushree Soren):
2:30 β 2:50 PM: Dr. Partha Gupta, Santal performance as a form.
2:50 β 3:00 PM: Vote of thanks: Ms. Chandana De.
3:15 β 3:30 PM: Rapporteur's presentation.
3:45 β 4:30 PM: Staging of Santal Play by Blossom Theatre.
6:30 PM: Santali Drama "Dakghar (The Post Office)" written by Rabindranath Tagore, presented by Partho Gupta, Director, Blossom Theatre, Dwaranda, Birbhum.
Exposition showcasing Santali arts, crafts and films continues (1st & 4th floor).
π 4th May (Monday)
π΄ THERE IS NO PROGRAM β Gallery closed due to Election Result.
π 5th May (Tuesday)
Exposition showcasing Santali arts, crafts and films continues (1st & 4th floor).
11:30 AM: Lecture along with slide presentation titled "Adivasi Museum of Vidyasagar University: A Treasure House of Tribal Heritage" by Professor Sumahan Bandyopadhyay.
Lunch break 2:30 PM. (*All speakers to be introduced by Dr. Kumal Chakraborty, retired Professor of History JNU*)
3:30 PM: Lecture by Sri Dipankar Ghosh "The Transformation of the Toto tribe in the context of space and time".
5:00 PM: Lecture at the Auditorium β Prof. Suhrid Bhowmik, in conversation with Sri Dipankar Ghosh on "Bangla Bhashay Santali Bhashar Provaab". Presentation Presided by Dr. Dukhia Murmu.
π 6th May (Wednesday)
Auditorium not available till 4pm.
1st & 4th floor β Exposition showcasing and demonstrating Santali arts, crafts and films, with training workshops for registered applicants, continues.
π 7th May (Thursday) β AI & INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYMPOSIUM
11:00 AM β 1:00 PM: Symposium coordinated by Prof. Shambhu Prasad Chakrabarty (University of Engineering and Technology), presided by Dr. Dukhia Murmu, Teacher-in-Charge, Department of Santali, Bhasha-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan.
Session Title: Synergizing Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Artificial Intelligence: An Indian Perspective
11:00 β 11:15 AM: Inaugural Session β Welcome Address: Prof. Dr. Rajiv Ganguly; Opening Remarks by Chair: Prof. Dr. Shambhu Prasad Chakraborty; Introduction to the Theme: Prof. Dr. Ayanita Banerjee.
11:30 β 11:45 AM: Keynote Address I (confirmed)
11:50 AM β 12:05 PM: Keynote Address II β Prof. Sayantan Dasgupta (Confirmed), Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University.
12:10 β 12:50 PM: Panel Discussion β "Bridging Tradition and Technology: Reimagining Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" with Prof. Mrinmoy Pramanik (JNU), Prof. Saswati Haldar (JU), Prof. Mainak Ghosh (JU Architecture), Dr. Samrat Sengupta (Sidho-Kano-Birsha).
12:50 β 1:00 PM: Valedictory Session β Prof. Ria Roy Chowdhury.
5:00 PM: Lecture at the Auditorium by Prof. Uma Dasgupta on "The Santal World and Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan".
6:00 PM: Music provided by Smt. Parbati Hembram and her group.
Exposition continues (1st & 4th floor).
π 8thβ9th May (Friday & Saturday)
8th May: Auditorium & 1st floor not available. Static display remains on 1st floor. 4th floor exposition, workshops, films continue.
9th May: Auditorium & 1st floor not available. Static display remains on 1st floor. 4th floor exposition continues. Adam Imam gives illustrated talk on the Museum created by Bulu Imam.
π 10th May (Sunday) β GRAND FINALE & VALEDICTORY
Exposition continues (1st & 4th floor).
3:00 PM: Tribal Musical Narrative and Dance Performance by 20 children from the village Ragabouro. Tribal Poetry and Story Recitation. Team includes 4 traditional musicians, 6-7 dancers, 1-2 storytellers or poets and 2 visual artists.
4:00 PM: Lecture by Subhomoy Roy "The Reciprocal Relation between the 1855 'Hool' and the Bengali 'Gentlefolk': A Study".
6:00 PM: Santal Festive Dances β Baha, Sohrai, Dasai or Bhuang Naach, presented at the Auditorium by Sri Partho Gupta from Blossom Theatre.
7:00 PM: Valedictory. Presided, with comments, by Ms. Richa Agarwal and Ruby Palchaudhuri. Summary and way forward by Dr. Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty, Honorary Advisor, KCC and Ila Palchaudhuri Foundation.
π¨ Daily (1st & 4th floor, except 4th May): Exposition showcasing Santali arts, crafts, films, and training workshops for registered applicants.