Community Resources and Partnerships/India General Support Project/Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage

statusSupported

India General Support Project

Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage

proposed start date2026-01-01

proposed end date2026-12-31

budget (USD)22431.5 USD

institutional partner fee (INR)253602

organization (if applicable)• Karavali Wikimedians User Group

Universal Code of Conduct

Applicant information

Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required)

Karavali Wikimedians User Group

Are you a first-time applicant? (required)

You are applying as a(n). (required)

Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)

Are your group or organization legally registered in your country? (required)

Yes

Please provide links to the following documents if they are available

These documentation can be provided in your local language(s), no translations required.

• Organizational website
• Detailed financial reporting and/or audits
• Documentation of the governance structure, board list, governance processes
• Documentation of the general assembly decision on your plan

Website: Karavali Wikimedians user Group

Main proposal

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required)

Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage

3. Proposed start date. (required)

2026-01-01

4. Proposed end date. (required)

2026-12-31

5. Does your organization or group have an Affiliate or Organizational Annual Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required)

No

6. Does your affiliate, organization or group have a Strategic Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required)

No

7.1. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)

India

7.2. If your project includes in-person activities, are there any international participants travelling to India for them? (required)

No

7.2.1. List all countries of participation. (required)

N/A

7.3. Will the project be transferring funds to any international participants? (required)

No

7.3.1. List all international participants receiving funding and their countries. (required)

N/A

8. What are your programs, approaches, and strategies? What are the challenges that you are trying to address and how will your strategies support you in addressing these challenges? (required)

'The project 'Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage will be implemented through a set of interconnected programs designed to safeguard and document the living traditions of Tulunadu. At its core, the initiative will focus on systematic documentation of oral narratives, ritual practices, folk performances, agricultural tools, culinary heritage, and sacred spaces through photography, audio, and video. This documentation will be complemented by training and capacity-building programs that equip folklorists, cultural practitioners, and youth with the skills needed to create high-quality content, apply metadata standards, and contribute effectively to Wikimedia platforms. To ensure grassroots participation, village-level workshops will be organized where elders share traditional knowledge and younger generations take part in the recording process. Schools and colleges will also be engaged under EduWiki initiatives, with the establishment of Wiki Student Associations to encourage intergenerational knowledge transfer. Alongside this, regular community meetups will be held to foster dialogue among contributors, while photowalks and fieldwork will capture seasonal practices such as Aati Kalenja, which are time-bound and rare. Writing competitions in Tulu, Kannada, and English will further expand the pool of content while encouraging local communities to take pride in their cultural heritage.

Approaches and Strategies

The project adopts a community-centric, intergenerational, technology-enabled, and collaborative approach to ensure inclusive and sustainable preservation of Tuluva heritage.

A community-centric approach will place cultural custodians at the center of the process, treating them not as subjects but as active collaborators and co-owners of the documentation. Special attention will be given to underrepresented and marginalized communities whose traditions are most at risk of disappearance.

The intergenerational approach will bridge elders, who hold traditional knowledge, with youth and students, enabling direct knowledge transfer and ensuring continuity. Young people will also be educated about Wikimedia platforms, building awareness of how systematic documentation can safeguard cultural practices for future generations.

A technology-enabled approach will use modern audio-visual recording tools, metadata standards, and Wikimedia uploading methods to guarantee the long-term preservation and accessibility of cultural resources. This will ensure that high-quality documentation is not only created but also remains open and sustainable.

Finally, the collaborative approach will involve partnerships with folklore academies, universities, cultural organizations, and local governance. The project will prioritize outreach in remote villages, where connectivity challenges exist, by conducting awareness sessions on how communities can use and edit Wikimedia platforms. Additionally, the initiative will introduce participants to AI-enabled tools to support writing skills, improve contributions, and strengthen the use of Wikimedia resources.

Challenges and How the Project Addresses Them

One of the major challenges is the erosion of traditional knowledge, as elders and hereditary practitioners age without transmitting their knowledge. To address this, intergenerational workshops and EduWiki programs will connect elders with youth, ensuring knowledge continuity.

Modernization and migration have created disconnections between younger generations and traditional practices. The project will counter this by engaging schools and colleges in hands-on documentation projects, helping students rediscover cultural pride and ownership.

The lack of systematic documentation means that much of Tulu heritage remains scattered across theses, private collections, and inaccessible archives. The project will solve this by creating a structured, multilingual, Wikimedia-based open-access archive, ensuring global reach and long-term sustainability.

Limited digital skills among practitioners present another barrier. Many cultural bearers are unfamiliar with documentation methods, copyright, and open-access principles. Focused training and workshops will equip them with the necessary digital literacy and Wikimedia skills to actively participate.

Additionally, the global invisibility of Tulu heritage has prevented wider recognition of its richness. By linking outputs to Wikimedia projects, Wiki Loves Living Heritage, and UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage framework, the initiative will bring Tulu culture to international platforms.

The project also acknowledges practical challenges such as poor internet connectivity and road access in remote villages, which will be mitigated through flexible, on-ground documentation methods. Another challenge is the hesitancy of some scholars and practitioners to share knowledge. This will be addressed by repeated community visits, building trust, and explaining the importance of the project for cultural survival.

More briefing about : Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage

9. What categories are your main programs and related activities under? Please select all that apply. (required)

Category	Yes/No
Education	Yes
Culture, heritage or GLAM	Yes
Gender and diversity	No
Community support and engagement	Yes
Participation in campaigns and contests	No
Other	No

Education

9.1.1. Select all your programs and activities for Education. (required)

Editing Wikipedia Training, Wikimedia Commons programs

Other programs and activities if any: N/A

9.1.2. Select all relevant audience groups for Education. (required)

Vocational, tertiary, or higher education, Teachers or professors, Senior citizens

Other groups if any: N/A

Culture, heritage or GLAM

9.2. Select all your programs and activities for Culture, heritage or GLAM. (required)

Introducing new approaches to underrepresented culture and heritage, e.g. decolonising or reparative work; oral and visual knowledge; outreach to communities of origin, indigenous and first nations self-determination, Supporting institutions to open up their collections, data, metadata, and research, Partnering with institutions, professional associations, and allied organizations to raise awareness of open culture, ethical sharing, and related issues, Documenting or incubating languages on Wikimedia projects

Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Community support and engagement

9.4. Select all your programs and activities for Community support and engagement.

On-wiki training of community members, Off-wiki training of community members, Organizing meetups, conferences, and community events, Supporting community members' participation in events and conferences, Offering micro-funding and other financial support to community members

Other programs and activities if any: N/A

10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required)

Proposed Timeline – Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage

Since many of the performances, artisan preparations, and living heritage activities are seasonal and event-based, it is difficult to fix an exact timeline for documentation. These traditions occur at specific times of the year and often depend on community availability. Therefore, we plan to execute documentation and related activities flexibly, on a time-to-time basis.

Phase 1: Planning & Preparation (Month 1–2)

• Finalize project plan, goals, and scope.
• Form working committees (documentation, outreach, media, editing).
• Conduct orientation sessions for community volunteers.
• Establish partnerships with cultural experts, institutions, and local communities.
• Capture high-quality photos, audio, and video of performances 

Phase 2: Documentation & Fieldwork (Month 3–7)

• Conduct field visits to record rituals, traditions, and oral histories.
• Capture high-quality photos, audio, and video of performances 
• Collect and document traditional crafts, practices, and folklore.

Phase 3: Content Development & Outreach (Month 5–9)

• Create and expand Wikipedia articles on Tulu culture.
• Develop Wiktionary entries for traditional terms.
• Organize edit-a-thons and workshops (colleges, cultural groups, government institutions).
• Social media campaigns and live sessions to reach wider audiences.

Phase 4: Review & Community Engagement (Month 8–10)

• Community review of uploaded content.
• Visiting the community and showcasing documented content.
• Mid-project workshop to share progress and gather feedback.

Phase 5: Consolidation & Reporting (Month 11–12)

• Prepare project report, documenting outcomes and learnings.
• Publish success stories on Wikimedia Diff and social media.
• Showcase outputs in a closing event.
• Submit final grant report to Wikimedia Foundation.

11. Describe your team. (required)

Team:

Dr. Vishwanatha Badikana(User:Vishwanatha Badikana) - Project adviser, coordinator and Guide is a noted folklorist, cultural researcher, and former Professor of Kannada at St. Aloysius College (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru. He will serve as the Project Advisor, guiding the team on content quality, cultural accuracy, field strategies, and content writing. His expertise ensures scholarly rigor and authenticity in the documentation process. (Stipend paying)

Bharathesha A B(User:Bharathesha Alasandemajalu) - Project Lead, a language expert, cultural archivist, and research scholar, will serve as the Project Lead. He will be responsible for field documentation, overall coordination, editorial supervision, and content writing. With extensive experience in Wikimedia projects and cultural preservation, he will anchor the project from planning to execution. 

Dr. Kishore Kumar Sheni(User:Kishore Kumar Rai) - Consultant- is a folklorist and language expert with deep knowledge of Tulu cultural and linguistic traditions. As the Content Lead, he will guide the team in documenting intangible heritage with accuracy and depth, ensuring the project’s cultural outputs are aligned with academic and community standards. (Stipend paying)

Dr. Girish, a professor of English and language expert, will contribute as a Content Writer and Translator. His role includes writing, translation, and academic review of content, bringing precision and clarity to multilingual outputs. His engagement will be on a voluntary basis. 

Harish Amai is a community facilitator with strong connections to local practitioners and artists. As Field Expert, he will act as a liaison with traditional communities, ensuring their active participation and building trust during documentation. His grassroots involvement will be vital for smooth fieldwork.

Keerthan - is a skilled photographer and media specialist who will contribute to the visual documentation of the project. His role involves capturing high-quality photographs of cultural practices, artifacts, and performances, thereby enhancing the multimedia archive. He will contribute his expertise voluntarily. 

Ashay V B(User:Ashay vb) specializes in technical support and design. His main responsibility will be design and layout, particularly the formatting and preparation of the project’s coffee table book for print. His skills will ensure professional presentation and creative appeal in project outputs. 

Yakshitha (User:Yakshitha)is a facilitator and content creator who will focus on proofreading and content refinement. She will ensure that all written outputs are linguistically accurate, coherent, and publication-ready. Her role is crucial in maintaining quality control over documentation and translations. (Stipend paying)

Chidananda Kampa(User:ChiK) will support the project as a Technical Assistant. He will be responsible for managing equipment, handling media files, and coordinating field documentation logistics. His contribution will help ensure smooth technical operations during documentation.

12. Will you be working with any internal (Wikimedia) or external partners? Describe the characteristics of these partnerships and bring a few examples of the most significant partnerships. (required)

Yes, we plan to collaborate with both internal Wikimedia communities and external partners.

We foresee collaborations with Karnataka State Government academies and other cultural bodies, as these institutions play a vital role in promoting the Tulu language and culture. Their involvement will strengthen our ability to connect with the wider public. In particular, we plan to engage with the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy and the Karnataka Arebhashe Samskrithi Mattu Sahitya Academy.

We will also collaborate with educational institutions, especially the Folklore, Journalism, and Language departments. Institutions such as SDM College, Ujire, and Alva’s College, enabling student groups to actively participate in field documentation, research, and dissemination activities.

On the Wikimedia side, the Karavali Wikimedians User Group will serve as the primary internal partner, bringing expertise in community engagement, cultural documentation, and Wikimedia platforms. We also intend to collaborate with other regional Wikimedia user groups and thematic affiliates to share knowledge, enhance visibility, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our efforts.

13. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select all that apply. (required)

Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Improve User Experience, Manage Internal Knowledge

Metrics

Wikimedia Metrics

14. Please select and fill out Wikimedia Metrics for your proposal. (recommended)

14.1. Number of participants, editors, and organizers.

All metrics provided are optional, please fill them out if they are aligned with your programs and activities.

Participants, editors, and organizers

Metrics name	Target	Description
Number of all participants	700	The project will engage both existing Wikimedians and new participants, including local community members, community heads, professors, language experts, folklorists, artists, and students. Together, they will contribute to documentation, knowledge sharing, and awareness activities, ensuring intergenerational collaboration and cultural accuracy while strengthening community engagement on Wikimedia platforms.
Number of all editors	80	N/A
Number of new editors	50
Number of retained editors	20
Number of all organizers	10	N/A
Number of new organizers	5

14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)

Contributions to Wikimedia projects

Wikimedia project	Created	Edited or improved
Wikipedia	500	500
Wikimedia Commons	2500	1000
Wikidata	1000	1000
Wiktionary	1000	1000
Wikisource	100	1000
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia

Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)

We plan to conduct workshops, training sessions, and article-writing contests that will generate a significant number of new articles. Additionally, through photowalks and photo contests, we expect to gather a large collection of photographs, along with high-quality videos and audio recordings, which will further enrich Wikimedia projects.

Other Metrics

15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required)

No

Other Metrics	Description	Target
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A
N/A	N/A	N/A

Budget

16. Will you have any other revenue sources when implementing this proposal (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required)

No

16.1. List other revenue sources. (required)

N/A

16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required)

N/A

17. Local currency

Indian Rupees (INR)

18. What is the requested amount in Indian Rupees? (required)

1409000 INR

Requested amount in USD

22431.5 USD

19. Does this proposal include compensation for staff or contractors? (required)

No

19.1. How many paid staff members and contractors do you plan to cover with this General Support Project? (required)

N/A

19.2. How many FTEs (full-time equivalents) in total will be covered with this General Support Project? (required)

N/A

19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Project if any. (required only for returning applicants)

N/A

20. Please provide an overview of your overall budget categories in your local currency. The budget breakdown should include only the amount requested with this General Support Project. (required)

Budget category	Amount in local currency
Staff and contractor costs	2400000
Operational costs	6410000
Programmatic costs	528000

21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)

Budget Link: Wiki Loves Tuluvas Living and Cultural Heritage

Additional information

22. In this optional space you can add any other additional information about your proposal or organization that you think can help us when reviewing your proposal. (optional)

Yes, our earlier projects have reached lakhs of people through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, YouTube, and others, creating strong community engagement and visibility for Tulu culture, while also serving as valuable resources for research and related purposes. Some of our most impactful initiatives include:

1. Pursa Kattuna: Unveiling the Enigmatic Tulu Ritual Dance and Living Heritages of Tulunadu.. Read more on Diff
2. Preserving Heritage: Tuluvas Aati Month Educational Wikimedia Programs.. Read more on Diff
3. Reviving Tuluvas’ Aati Month: Saving the Endangered Mugera Aati Kalenja Tradition...Read more on Diff

These projects not only safeguarded endangered cultural practices but also raised global awareness through Wikimedia platforms and outreach. We believe this experience demonstrates our capacity to execute impactful projects and our commitment to the long-term preservation of Tulu living heritage.

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Yes

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