MAHE launches online certificate course in ‘Living Cultures of Tulunadu’

The Centre for Intercultural Studies and Dialogue (CISD) of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) has launched an online certificate course titled ‘Discerning India: Living Cultures of Tulunadu’.

This online certificate course in English is open to students and any learner from across the world.

It said ‘Discerning India: Living Cultures of Tulunadu – Level 1’ is a self-paced online course offered by CISD. It introduces participants to the essence of the region. The course comprises the following units: ‘Theatre and performance: Yakshagana’; ‘Community and sports: Kambala’; and ‘Worship traditions: Bhutaradhane; Naagaradhane’.

Speaking after inaugurating the online course, Ranjan Pai, President of MAHE and Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), Bengaluru, said higher education finds its meaning in establishing a cultural connect between the local and the global. MAHE has been consistently working with the community around alongside its global outlook. The online course on the culture of Tulunadu is one such attempt at providing a new impetus to the study and research at the intersection of local and global cultures, he said.

Flagging off ‘tiger dance’ at the time of inauguration, HS Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of MAHE, said MAHE has maintained a close and cordial relation with the local art forms, literature and culture. MAHE has thus set new models for education institutions for their engagement with the communities around. This course ensures the culture of the land is not only nurtured but is handed over to next generations, he said.

HS Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of MAHE, flagging off the online certificate course in ‘Living Cultures of Tulunadu’ by beating an instrument in Manipal. Ranjan Pai (right), President of MAHE and Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group, Bengaluru, is seen. 

The MAHE Vice Chancellor, Lt Gen MD Venkatesh, said MAHE is committed to the idea of National Education Policy and is making earnest efforts towards realising its objectives. This online course is aligned with that commitment. It focuses on local knowledge systems and cultural practices of the region and presents it within an academic context. The documentaries and lectures covered in the course will be useful for academic research and understanding the ethos of Tulunadu.

This online course has the potential to reach the audiences across disciplines and space, he said.

There was a performance of ‘tiger dance’ (known as ‘pili vesha’ in local Tulu language) by Ashok Raj Kadabettu and team of Udupi. Praveen Shetty, Coordinator of Discerning India project, introduced the course.