The Department of English Literature and Language organised an online interdisciplinary session, Miscellany on “Piecing the Patronage Puzzle Together: Musical Resilience in the Thar Desert and Beyond” for the UG and PG students on 3rd March. The speaker of the session was Dr. Shalini R. Ayyagari, who is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Music, University of Pittsburgh, USA and the author of the book Musical Resilience.

The keynote of the session was the patronage of the Manganiyar musicians and their development over time. Dr. Shalini also shared insights about her ongoing archival research project. She expressed her interest in Manganiyar history and discussed the contribution of Komal Kothari who greatly aided in preserving the Manganiyar music. A resourceful music archive in Gurgaon was brought to the attention of all. The session proved to be extremely insightful and informative, providing students and the faculty with a deeper understanding of Musical Resilience.