Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal

Editorial Vol -10 No. 1

Nirmala Mani Adhikary — 2024-06-18

Available with full text.

Non-Verbal Communication in Indian Classical Dance Forms

Ankita Deshkar — 2024-06-18

This study delves into the intricate world of non-verbal communication within the rich mosaics of the Indian classical dance forms. The statement quoted by Noam Chomsky, “Language is not an inborn quality, it is creative and acquired”. The objective of this research is to analyse and focus on the need for humans to communicate, that too using non-verbal communication. Dance will not be relegated to simply a performance genre but will be treated as an essential ingredient of life. The focus would be on identifying the non-verbal elements of the dance that would communicate not just the stories but also social messages if needed through the gestures and other elements in Indian Classical Dance Forms. For this analysis, the researcher has considered, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, and Kathakali, the dance forms that trace their origin to the southern states of India namely, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. The research employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining elements of anthropology and performing arts to unravel the communicative nuances in the intricate hand gestures, facial expressions, body postures, and rhythmic footwork inherent in Indian classical dances. By examining the symbolism and cultural significance of gestures (mudras), the utilization of facial expressions (abhinaya), and the synchronization of movements with musical rhythms, the research seeks to unveil the deeper layers of communication that lie beneath the surface of these mesmerizing performances.

K-Pop Fandom and Beauty Trends: Investigating the Engagement of Young Urban Indian Women with BTS

Fatema Bhaisaheb — 2024-06-18

The Korean wave (Hallyu) has emerged as a global phenomenon spreading to many countries including India since the nineties. In the initial phase, Korean dramas attracted international attention, after which Korean pop music took the world by storm. With the rising popularity of K-pop in India (Jiju, 2023), it is essential to understand the influence it carries on Indian fans. This paper delves into understanding how K-Pop has influenced ideas about beauty among young adults in Vadodara, a cosmopolitan town located in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Three focus group discussions were carried out with fifteen youngsters who identified as K-pop fans, particularly of BTS (Bangtan Boys), a South Korean boy band formed in 2013. The research design adopted for this study was qualitative and exploratory. Theoretical underpinnings informed by The Social Construction of Reality (Berger & Luckman,1966) and The Juggernaut of Modernity (Giddens, 1990) were used to examine the influence of K-Pop consumption on ideas about beauty in the context of fandom culture. The findings reveal no significant influence on beauty-related values and ideals. However, K-pop does have a positive bearing on other aspects of the lives of its fans such as challenging stereotypes, promoting self-love, addressing social problems, and positive impact on individual personality. In addition, a shift in fashion ideals is observed indicating a growing trend of Korean-inspired fashion trends.

A Comparative Analysis of Climate Change Framing in Nepali Newspapers

Yiqun Geng — 2024-06-19

Nepal, because of its specific topographical and geographical characteristics, is at the epicenter of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. This study investigates the way three Nepali newspapers, namely Kantipur, Nagarik, and Nayapatrika Daily framed climate change from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The research provides a comprehensive approach to investigating the framing ways used by these newspapers, identifying and evaluating five prominent frames: environmental impact, humanitarian, policy, and governance, economic, and global justice. Through rigorous examination of chosen reports and articles from the required timeframe, the study indicates a noticeable trend in framing preferences among these three publications. Significantly, the results highlight the centrality of the Policy and Governance Frame as the main focus, which comprises more than half of the total coverage, then following the Environmental Impact Frame. The research presented here provides vital insight into each of the methods applied by media sources to convey climate change in Nepal. The study highlights the significance of using a diverse framing approach for addressing the many facets of this complicated issue, acknowledging the nation's varied climate-related challenges. This research not only contributes to the scholarly knowledge regarding climate change communication but also has practical implications for professionals in the media, policymakers, and the general public. The need for a more varied and diverse framing approach is emphasized, showing the potential for more successful communication tactics that are tailored to Nepal's particular context and challenges in the face of climate change.

Literacy in the New Media Age: What Has Changed ?

Sudhamshu Dahal — 2024-06-18

Media landscape has seen remarkable changes over the decades because of new technological inventions globally. Technological inventions have multiple impacts in media landscape that has been differently shaping the traditional one-way communication practice. The concept of media literacy interpreted earlier has also been shifting, and there are issues with the arrival of new interactive media in the world. This article deals with media literacy: its basic concepts and theoretical assumptions and the shifting of the traditional definition guided by the changing media technology and media consumption pattern in Nepali context. It examines the changing Nepali media literacy landscape through a critical approach and analyze how the content generation has been impacted by the changing media climate.

Revisiting Representation in South Asian Modernity

Komal Phuyal — 2024-06-18

South Asian modernity critiques colonial representation through recreation and rewriting and develops a new way of dealing with the colonial discourses of the past. The colonial rulers employed violence to establish their domination upon narratives to rule the people of India. After its Independence in 1947, historians, literary critics, and academicians began to approach the colonial past from the domains of their expertise to explore the wrongs committed therein. Such intellectuals sift through the established discourses of the empires to examine the methodological validity of their claims by turning the lens upon Eurocentrism itself. This study critically surveys studies by Dipesh Chakrabarty, Gyan Prakash, Gayatri Chakraborty Spivak, and Partha Chatterjee to examine the issues they have raised about India and its colonial past. Deriving the critical insights from the studies, I interpret two texts by English novelist, short story writer and poet Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)—the short story “The Other Man” (1886) and the poem “Gunga Din” (1890). These texts depict the colonized subject at the service of the colonial master. By analyzing two cases from Kipling, this study concludes that South Asian modernity faces the unique challenge of revisiting representation in the context of its colonial past.

Representation of Social Issues in Indian Graphic Novels

Punyaprada Singh — 2024-06-18

The study intends to uncover the significant commentary these works offer on current themes like gender dynamics, caste discrimination, governmental corruption, religious tensions, and the challenges of modernity, by analyzing a varied spectrum of graphic novels coming out of the subcontinent. We shed light on how these graphic novels not only represent the socio-political environment of India but also question and modify narratives by combining qualitative content analysis and in-depth case studies. Our research highlights the importance of graphic novels as effective social critique mediums in India, echoing wider global trends where visual storytelling goes beyond just amusement to provide insightful social commentary

A Bibliography of Articles Published in Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal

Smriti Dhungana — 2024-06-18

This article is a bibliograpic review, analysis, interpretation and discussion of Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal, published by Kathmandu University (KU) from 2007 to 2023. During its 16-year journey, Bodhi, over nine issues, published 119 articles by scholars and researchers from various disciplines, particularly Humanities and Social Sciences.

Psychotherapy in Shreemad-Bhagwad-Geeta (Krishna-Upachaar for Arjun-Rog)

Ajay Risal — 2024-06-18

Shreemad-Bhagwad-Geeta (The Geeta) is the most influential scripture not only in the cultural, religious and theoretical aspects, but also in the academic, philosophical, and practical phases of individual and social lifes. Currently, there are discussions among academicians, philosophers, and mental health practitioners to utilize this discourse also for psychological treatment. Krishna-Arjun communication in the Geeta is almost similar to the client-therapist relationship in the modern day clinical practice. The Geeta's dialogue transpired in the battlefield (Kurukshetra) of the famous Mahabharat war, when one of the most influential warriors of the Pandav side, Arjun, became psychologically disturbed (melancholic), and decided to flee. His charioteer, Krishna, then assumed the therapist's position and provided the essential counseling (therapy) to bring Arjun back to the war. The Krishna-Arjun conversation during that time can be easily interpreted in the modern psychotherapeutic procedures: supportive, cognitive, behavioral, grief-resolution, motivational enhancement, hypnosis, etc. Krishna used an eclectic approach to heal Arjun’s mind and motivate him towards his Kshetriya duty. Thus, I see the Geeta as a form of Krishna’s treatment to heal Arjun’s mind, i.e., Krishna-Upachaar for the Arjun-Rog. This paper tries to establish this proposition.