Julian Lynch

Julian Lynch is a PhD student in Anthropology and Ethnomusicology. His work focuses on festivals and music in India and their place within narratives of social change. Through the help of the Scott Kloeck-Jenson Fellowship, he will conduct preliminary research toward his dissertation in Delhi, Gurgaon, and Nagpur. In examining archival resources, Julian hopes to learn more about the Marbat festival, celebrated in Nagpur, as well as other relevant Indian festivals and public rituals. He will also attend Marbat in person, and speak with scholars in the city about its history and practice. The central thrust of the festival, since its inception in the late 19th century, has been the identification and symbolic eradication of social evils, embodied in the form of effigies called marbats and badgyas. Marbat and other festivals hold enormous potential for relevant social commentary, and Julian intends to utilize the archive to bring these themes into scholarly discussion.

Julian wrote about his fellowship experiences across India here.