Jawaharlal Handoo – India folkloristika legendaarne kangelane

Late spring of this year brought the passing of Jawaharlal Handoo (1.07.1945–31.05.2025), promoter of Indian folkloristics and long-time member of the editorial board of the journal Folklore. Electronic Journal of Folklore. His overarching contribution to Indian folkloristics spanned nearly five decades (1975-2025), a real era. As a legendary teacher he changed the academic landscape, making room for India’s oral traditions, so that they might breathe, speak and develop within the walls of universities and research institutions. With his work he developed folkloristics as an academic discipline and affirmed its role as a crucial bearer of Indian cultural identity.