Poshak Puralekh

Physical detail

• Number of items in the collection: 7 interviews
• Venues where the material can be listened to: digitised copies of interviews available to listen to at EMOHA
• Media available: digital files

Collection history

Poshak Puralekh – meaning costume archive in Hindi – is a project that celebrates the collection of dance costumes amassed by the Centre for Indian Classical Dance. The centre was founded in Leicester in 1981 by Nilima Devi MBE to promote knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Indian dance and culture. Costume is an integral part of Indian dance and the centre has accumulated over 300 over the past decades. The costume archive features garments designed locally by students at Loughborough Art College and others, such as folk-dance costumes, that were specifically sourced in India. The interviews were carried out by volunteers following oral history training from EMOHA and with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

What the collection contains

The project records memories of the people who created these costumes and danced in them. It explores their significance to South Asian communities in Leicester. 

This collection is not yet catalogued.

More information

• Find out more about Poshak Puralekh on YouTube
• Visit the Centre for Indian Classical Dance website
• Read more about the project on the EMOHA blog