Kolkata: Stories are an integral part of human evolution. India’s rich cultural heritage holds one such precious gem, Kavaad Katha. This ancient story telling tradition, which originated in Rajasthan over 500 years ago, is now an almost lost art, with only a few practitioners remaining.
Calcutta International School recognized the importance of supporting this traditional art form.In April 2024, CIS invited artisans from Rajasthan for a five-day workshop with Grade 4 students, aiming to expose them to this unique art form. This workshop combined the art form with the regional and foreign languages taught at the school. Supervised and assisted by the school’s art and language teachers, students worked in groups under the guidance of Dwarka Prasad Jangid, one of the few remaining Kavaad artists. Jangid, along with his assistant, travelled from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, to share the history and techniques of Kavaad storytelling. He provided a comprehensive overview and guided the students in painting and assembling their own Kavaad boxes from scratch.
This workshop, the first of its kind in Kolkata, aimed to raise awareness of the art form and the need to revive it. The Bengali group worked on the tale of Bon Bibi from the Sundarbans, while the Hindi students brought Panchatantra tales to life. Spanish students worked on the epic novel Don Quixote, and the French learners illustrated the beloved childhood tale of Petit Poulet (Chicken Little). The workshop concluded with a presentation where each group narrated their illustrated stories using their Kavaad.