About Us
The Centre for Contemporary Folklore (CCF) is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and celebrating India’s diverse and rich traditions of oral and cultural heritage. Our mission is to bring to light the stories and narratives that have been passed down through generations but remain unknown to many. We believe that these stories are not just relics of the past but living, breathing elements of our cultural identity that continue to evolve and resonate in today’s world. To achieve this end, we work to research, document, and preserve these invaluable narratives, ensuring they are not lost to time.
Come and explore with us the timeless threads that make up India’s folklore fabric. Whether you are a scholar, a storyteller, or simply someone with a passion for cultural heritage, there is a place for you at CCF. Together, we can ensure that these stories continue to inspire, educate, and connect people across generations and communities.
Folk & Femme
Women in Folklore: Folktales told by and for women
There is a certain image that women hold in folklore. Often, they are portrayed as submissive and passive. This image reinforces notions of patriarchy and traditional gendered roles, showcasing women as secondary figures. However, there are also stories where women take the centre stage. These tales are a space created by and for women where they can display both deep longing as well as subservience.
Folk & Femme is a theatre production by Parwana Theatre, developed in collaboration with the Centre for Contemporary Folklore (CCF). At its core, the project asks: How do women’s lives, desires, and struggles find expression in folklore, and how can theatre re-embody these voices in the present? As part of Folk & Femme, this International Women’s Day, we bring to you Women in Folklore, which invites our readers to join us in celebrating women and their ability to recreate, replenish and repossess identity, agency and experience.
Foundations of Folklore
A Compendium on Folklore and its Preservation
We position ourselves at the intersection of academia, fieldwork, creative story-telling and community engagement. Our aim is not just to collect or preserve stories, but to reimagine folklore preservation as a collaborative and evolving process, consciously ethical in its nature, that reflects the diversity of lived experiences today.
This compendium maps the historical evolution of folklore studies, examines international and local preservation models, and engages with emerging critical questions about power, representation and technology. Through this text, we begin to chart a roadmap for prospective CCF’s work:
One that prioritises critical reflection.
Fund the Folk!
Because culture has no backup drive
WHY DONATE?
India has a rich tapestry of folklore—stories whispered by grandparents on quiet evenings, songs echoing through village squares, and rituals woven into the fabric of our daily lives. These narratives carry our history, our values, and our collective imagination. But many of these cherished traditions are slowly fading.
Even the smallest seed can become a sacred grove. Similarly the smallest donations can help keep the voice of Indian folklore alive. Join us and revive one tale, one tune, one memorable journey down lost tales at a time.
Any amount big or small- your support becomes a story in our collection. It keeps our archive growing and our preservation efforts going.
