ORA Fellow Ritesh Gohiya is reviving the deep cultural and musical traditions of his region of Central India while fostering dialogue on India’s constitutional values.
Through the Social Health and Education Development Organisation (SHEDO), Ritesh is building an alliance of folk musicians, rural youth bands, and grassroots performers—bringing communities together to reconnect with the core principles of equality, fraternity, and justice.
Hear more from Ritesh and his partners in this short video.
Ritesh believes that music can serve as a bridge—reigniting a shared cultural identity while making the tenets of the Indian Constitution felt as lived values, not just words on paper.
For generations, Kabir-Nirgun folk traditions provided the people of this region—especially the Korku and Gond tribal communities—with a powerful means of expression. But as forests disappeared and traditional ways of life were disrupted, these musical traditions also faded.
Through a community cultural center, a grassroots recording studio, artist fellowships, and large-scale festivals, Ritesh and his team are incubating the next generation of Dalit and Adivasi musicians.
Ritesh has mentored more than 2,000 rural youth to build their practice of performing and dialoguing with peer networks on living the Indian constitution through music in the Kabir tradition.
By bringing artists and communities together, Ritesh is demonstrating that progressive culture, rooted in tradition, can be a force for change.
Follow along with Ritesh on Instagram and LinkedIn and find SHEDO on Youtube and Instagram.
