View Profile

Maheshwar Kumar

PhD Scholar at School of Humanities and Social Sciences · National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar

https://researchid.co/maheshwar.kumar
@niser.ac.in
6Scopus Publications

Research Interests

Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, Dance Studies, Folk Dance, Indian Folk Theatre, Performing Arts, Folk Cultures of Purulia, Cultural Anthropology, South Asian Studies

Biography

Maheshwar Kumar holds a PhD from the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) Bhubaneswar, an Off-Centre Campus of Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), India. His PhD thesis is entitled- “Performance as Cultural Text: Defamiliarizing the Performing Art Tradition of Purulia Chhau.” His current research article has been published in Performance Research (Taylor & Francis), The Oriental Anthropologist (Sage), and Asian Anthropology (Taylor & Francis). His primary areas of research interest are- Purulia Chhau, Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, Dance Research, and Indigenous Culture.

Education

 Ph.D. in English, 2024- National Institute of Science Education and Research Bhubaneswar  UGC NET in English, 2018  M.A. English, 2018- Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh (1st Class)  B.A. English, 2016- Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, West Bengal (2nd Class)  Higher Secondary, 2012- West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (1st Class)  Secondary, 2010- West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (1st Class)

Recent Scopus Publications

  1. Masked-Dance and Audience Reception in the Performing Art Tradition of Purulia Chhau
    Asian Theatre Journal, 2026
  2. Dance as Cultural/Performance Text: Decoding the Cultural Labor of Purulia Chhau in India
    Dance Chronicle, 2026
  3. SPECIAL ISSUE ON EMOTION-AWARE AI AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF VISUAL CULTURE
    Shodhkosh Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 2025
  4. Performance as cultural text: defamiliarizing the performing art tradition of Purulia Chhau
    Asian Anthropology, 2025
  5. Ritual, Performance and Spirituality: Revisiting the Performative Cultures of Chaitra Parva and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal
    Oriental Anthropologist, 2024

Links