Mahatma Jyotirao Phule revived the folk arts and skills to build positve self-concept and cultural empower among deprived communities

Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890), whose birth anniversary we celebrate today (April 11, 2026), was a champion of tribal and folk art, which was integral to his larger movement for social equality. He employed traditional Marathi oral traditions to educate and mobilize marginalized groups, including shudras and women. By focusing on local cultural expressions instead of formal, elitist literature, he empowered the voices of the marginalized.

He advocated for traditional oral folk singing and artistic skills to forge an identity for the oppressed classes, directly confronting the traditional myths that upheld caste inequalities. His use of folk forms was strategic, as his audience was predominantly uneducated, making these mediums powerful instruments for social transformation.

Folk art served as an alternative to oppressive elite culture, helping to cultivate a positive self-image among the oppressed. Today, the Mahatma Phule Sanskrutik Bhavan and the Mahatma Phule Museum in Pune, Maharashtra, continue to celebrate and promote the region's folk arts, literature, and cultural heritage.