"If you look at history books, they are mostly filled with dates and political past of the country. However, social events such as festivals and melas, which bring people together and form our cultural and social histories, remain hidden and are never quite talked about,” shares Shagufta Siddhi (41).
With an aim to educate people who are unaware of the social and cultural histories of the many cities and towns in India, Siddhi—she shuttles between Panchsheel Park and Varanasi—founded the not-for-profit Ganga Jamuni Foundation in 2019.
The name of the organisation brings to mind the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. Elaborating on the same, Siddhi mentions that it is indeed derived from this Tehzeeb, a syncretism between Hindu and Islamic religious and cultural elements. The Foundation tries to engage people in comprehending the world we live in, which is made of the co-existence of these two major communities of India.
A database of stories
As a way of promoting the understanding of culture, the Foundation aims to document oral histories. Their first archive focuses on the spiritual capital of India—Varanasi. “We look for common people to interview, and ask them to talk about what their lives had been like in Banaras and how it has changed over time.” Keeping the focus on Varanasi’s culture and society, the questions to the interviewees range from the festivals they have attended, the food they eat, their rituals and customs, and so forth.
Mentioning how Varanasi was on its way to becoming a tourist spot, Siddhi says that Ganga Jamuni’s archives try to retain the essence of this place by documenting stories of those who still understand the pulse of the city. “Each of them has different beliefs, cultures, festivals, and their unique perspective of Banaras,” she explains. In the future, Siddhi hopes to form a Delhi archive as well as plans to document other cities in the country.
Taking paths less travelled
Apart from the archive, the Foundation also organises regular cultural tours around Varanasi and other places in the country such as Rajasthan, Haryana, to name a few. For instance, while touring through Varanasi, Siddhi mentions that the focus goes beyond the usual highlights of the city. Instead, the Foundation takes participants slightly off the beaten track, to cover places such as the Panchkroshi Yatra, which is one of the ancient pilgrim routes of Varanasi.
While their current focus is Varanasi, Ganga Jamuni has also conducted tours at other localities in the country including Tonk and Bundi in Rajasthan as well as Loharu, Jhajjar, and Rewari in Haryana. “We look at these juxtapositions of communities in our history and try to understand the cultural heritage of the place and its people.”
Their Delhi tours include traversing uncommon routes—the participants explored old temples at Purani Dilli, a place mostly known for its Muslim population, as well as the Delhi Ring Railway tour, which covers all the areas near the stations of the circular railway network such as Lajpat Nagar, Sewa Nagar, Lodhi Colony, etc.
Making learning fun again
During the pandemic, Ganga Jamuni conducted a series of virtual sessions in which eminent scholars, authors, historians, and sociologists would speak about their work to an audience. Although these sessions were initially meant only for students, over time, the programmes were attended by both adults and youngsters.
They have also started four-day educational expeditions for children, which include theory and fieldwork specific to the history, geography, and politics of different areas in India. While these are mostly for middle-school students, Ganga Jamuni also has a gap-year programme for Class 12 students unsure about further studies.
Siddhi also shares that towards the end of Ramadan, the Foundation will be organising what they like to call the ‘Interfaith Iftar’. Here, they will invite Hindus and Muslims to breakfast together, while discussing the significance and rituals of the holy month of fasting. Delving into the importance of such events, Siddhi concludes, “When people leave these events, they have an immersion into another faith and its practices. This way, we can create harmony.”