Dhruba Nanda Roy, a doctoral candidate at the Centre for Folk Culture Studies (CFCS), School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH), presented her research paper titled “Sin or Sacrality: Mediating Alcohol in the Life of Assam” at the 15th SIEF RYManila Conference 2024 on Food, Feasts, Festivities and Folklore. The conference aims to highlight the centrality of gustatory experiences and gastronomical practices in various ethnolinguistic groups worldwide. It was held at the University of the Philippines, Diliman (UP Diliman) from 11th -13th December 2024. The International Society for Ethnology and Folklore—SIEF—is a pluridisciplinary organisation centred on the twin fields of ethnology and folklore (E&F) in their various denominations, within the larger family of anthropological and cultural-historical disciplines. It facilitates and stimulates cooperation among scholars working within European Ethnology, Folklore Studies, Cultural Anthropology and adjoining fields.
Dhruba Nanda Roy
The paper seeks to examine the role of alcohol within Assam’s social and cultural framework, aiming to illuminate the intricate connections between alcohol consumption, traditional practices, and spiritual beliefs. In this exploration, a focus is placed on unravelling the delicate balance between sin and sanctity woven into Assam’s culture. She has also tried to highlight the region’s array of rice beer beverages by the different communities, which garnered an enthusiastic response from the panel, leading to discussions about various rice-based alcoholic beverages across Southeast Asia. Scholar thanks IoE for providing travel Grant and University of Hyderabad for the support.