Asian Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies

Premchand’s Idea of Progressive Literature

2023-03-01T08:08:24+00:00

In his life spanning the last two decades of the nineteenth century and about three and half decades of the twentieth century, Premchand chose to write about the stark realities of Indian masses—greed, poverty, subjugation, exploitation, caste system, gender bias and corruption. Premchand's idea of progressive literature emphasized the need for writers to focus on the lives and struggles of the common people, and to portray their experiences in a realistic and empathetic manner. He believed that literature should serve as a mirror of society, reflecting the realities of the world around us and inspiring readers to work towards a more just and equitable society. For Premchand, the role of the writer was not just to entertain, but also to educate and enlighten readers about social issues and the struggles of the oppressed. He advocated for a literature that was rooted in the cultural and social context of its time, and that drew inspiration from the lives of ordinary people. This essay discusses his views on progressive literature and impact of his views and works on Hindustani artistic and literary works.

Storytelling of the Religious Meaning of Sunan Kalijaga’s Heirloom Washing Tourist Attraction: A Phenomenological Perspective

2023-01-30T13:33:51+00:00

The tourist attraction of the heirloom washing ceremony is very popular in Indonesia, but few researchers know about the meaning contained in each heirloom washing symbol. Based on a phenomenological perspective, this research sought to analyze the meaning of symbols, especially the religious meanings in the Sunan Kalijaga’s heirloom washing tourist attraction. In-depth interviews revealed that the religious values such as an invitation to worship Allah SWT and the importance of prayer are the main meanings of Sunan Kalijaga's heirloom washing. Storytelling is a tool to convey the religious meaning both online and offline. The main contribution of this research is the importance of analyzing the symbols of heirloom washing that are meaningful. The results also have implications for the management of the tourist attraction of heirloom washing, in order to convince more tourists to visit this destination.

Musealisation of Tibet: A Critical Review of the Potala Palace

2023-01-14T12:04:23+00:00

Tibet is a controversial topic of discussion in relation to ethnography, culture, and politics. The conceptions of Tibet were (re)constructed by various agencies with complex and intertwined motivations. Being one of these strategic agencies, musealisation has contributed significantly to the (mis)representation of Tibet. The Potala Palace has been one of the most crucial catalysts in shaping the imagination of Tibet. In 1999, the Tibet Museum was established near the Potala Palace, where many artefacts were relocated into the new Tibet Museum. This gesture transformed the Potala Palace from a historical religious site into a hybrid institution.

This paper intends to highlight specifically the establishment of the Potala Palace, unpacking controversial terms such as “Shangri-La” and “Tibetophilia”, which resulted in accelerating the interest to musealise Tibet. Potala Palace is methodologically leveraged as both a catalyst and representation of such a musealisation mechanism. Furthermore, it is to initiate a critical discourse for the (mis)representation of Tibet through the institutionalised and internalised forces of musealisation in the postcolonial contexts.