Abanindranath Tagore’s Rajkahini, a landmark collection of short stories based in Rajasthan, was reimagined at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) on Sunday (August 24) as part of Ramjhol 3.0, a week-long festival celebrating the cultural traditions of Rajasthan.
The session, titled Weaving Rajputana and Bengal: Reimagining Abanindranath Tagore’s Rajkahini, revisited the 1909 text that adapted Rajput legends such as the saga of Rani Padmini for a Bengali readership. Written during the Swadeshi movement, Rajkahini framed tales of sacrifice and courage as narratives of national pride.
Rangroop Theatre and Doll’s Theatre staged a retelling of Rani Padmini’s story through theatre and puppetry at Ramjhol. Chaiti Mitra, associate professor of English and director at ACGAL, provided a contextual reading of the text as a cultural bridge between Bengal and Rajasthan.
