Traditional Indian Games Impart Intellectual and Spiritual Learnings

Rohan J, a London-based digital media professional understands the importance of “presenting Indic treasures in a modern format”. Being away from India and travelling extensively made Rohan realise how “incredibly valuable India’s indigenous heritage and knowledge systems are.” His passion to curate cosmopolitan yet culturally rooted Indic narratives led him to establish a cultural initiative – Ishva.

In this interview with CSP, Rohan speaks of reviving as well as creating a market for traditional Indian games through Ishva and presenting it in a format that can be shared, owned and celebrated by the Instagram generation.

What is the story behind the inception of Ishva?

Ishva, is a Sanskrit word meaning 'offering' or 'gift'. At its very core, Ishva is a cultural initiative that aims to showcase, what we call 'worthy' Indian treasures, through a modern, elevated aesthetic.

The idea of Ishva came about after years of travel, study and reflection. Being an expat professional in London's media & advertising landscape, I found myself at the intersection of cosmopolitan culture and cultural narratives. The idea of 'India' or 'Indian' in the UK and Europe is not only outdated but also co-opted, in a way that tends to downplay India's unique civilizational legacy. For example, whilst on the one hand, the 'cows, caste, curry,' (and more recently slums) invader-centric stereotyping of India continues in mainstream media; on the other hand, terms like 'South Asian', 'from the Indian Subcontinent', 'Brown culture' are often used to mask the good bits that India has to offer, albeit unknowingly.

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