Festivals and melas: activism and aesthetic commons in Janakpurdham, Nepal

Abstract

Over the past two decades, Janakpurdham has been a focal point for social movements seeking recognition for the contested identity of people of Tarai-Madhesh origin within the Nepali state (Jha 2017). Such tension between ‘fluid’ Maithil and Madhesh identities has manifested in disputes over the naming of Province two (Mithila or Madhesh) and, more recently, over the recognition of accepted work languages (Maithili, Magahi, Tharu, Hindi). Cultural performances play a crucial role in articulating identity claims in public places. Over time, the proliferation of Maithil wall paintings in the city has come to identify a shared, albeit homogenizing, ‘Maithil identity’. Similarly, jhijhiya dance has undergone a progressive heritagization that has opened the ritual dance up to a broader range of performers and audiences, particularly through festivals held in Janakpurdham (Mottin 2024). In rural areas, melas and associated entertainment like nach (folk drama) also appears to be experiencing a resurgence after having been declared on the verge of extinction. However, while jhijhiya is supported by diverse groups bridging the urban-rural divide, nach seems to still be confined to separate, rural networks.

By comparing and contrasting the ways in which diverse communities coalesce to organize festivals and melas that provide platforms for performances such as jhijhiya and nach, this paper aims to explore heritagization as a process of commoning and to understand what makes ‘aesthetic commons’. I understand commoning as a political practice that takes place over the representation of communities, through strategies of selection and erasure of complexities and differences (Ranciere 2004, 2015).