Fellowship Subject:
‘Mumbai in all its diversities’
Background and prompt: From being the home of Kolis and Agris to a Portuguese colony transformed by the British into an important trade-and-port city, Bombay became a significant centre of the anti-British freedom movement and, after independence, the economic and entertainment hub of India. In its many avatars, Bombay, later Mumbai, displayed immense diversity in ideological thought, character, communities, natural ecology, commercial enterprise, culture and religion, food and drink, housing and slums, language and dress, politics, and public life.
The core theme of diversity can be explored in any or all of the following ways: what this diversity tells us about the city; has it been mapped and described, if so in what ways; how has diversity in any field contributed to the making of the city; is it on the decline or is it being strengthened; will it survive or thrive in the decades to come; and how does it compare with other cities in India. These are indicative topics that can be explored within the theme during the Dr Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship 2025-26.
Download link
1. Tikekar Memorial Fellowship Application Form 2025-2026
2. Terms and Conditions of the Fellowship 2025-26
Dear friends,
Dr Aroon Tikekar Centre for Advanced Studies takes pleasure in inviting you and your friends to the annual programme of the Centre to award the Tikekar Memorial Fellowship and join us to listen to the chief guest and keynote speaker Ms. Shanta Gokhale.
The programme will be held on Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 5:30PM in the Durbar Hall of The Asiatic Society of Mumbai.
Ms. Shanta Gokhale, reputed writer, translator, chronicler of theatre, and an engaged observer of the arts and culture, will speak on ‘The Great Language Divide’ across the demographics and politics of language in plays and literature in Mumbai. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
In keeping with the tradition of the annual programme of the Centre, the sixth Tikekar Memorial Fellow 2024, Dr Himanshu Smart, lecturer and researcher, will present a synopsis of his work done. This will be followed by Mr. Mohmad Aslam Saiyad, co-founder of Hallu Hallu, documentary photographer and environmentalist, briefly introducing the work he proposes to do as a Fellow 2025. The well-known artist and art researcher Mr Suhas Bahulkar, first Tikekar Memorial Fellow, will present a copy of his book written during the fellowship to the Asiatic Society of Mumbai.
You are requested to join us for tea at 5 PM at the venue.
Thank you,
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Vilas Dhavale Prof. Mangala Sirdeshpande
Chairperson Hon. Secretary
Dr. Aroon Tikekar Centre The Asiatic Society of Mumbai
for Advanced Studies, ASM
The Sixth Dr. Tikekar Memorial Fellowship
Dr. Aroon Tikekar, the noted and erudite scholar-researcher, well-regarded writer, books and rare books collector, veteran editor, and eminent thinker passed away suddenly on January 19, 2016. He had contributed immensely to the intellectual life of Mumbai and Maharashtra in the last four decades through his vast collection of essays, editorials, opinion articles, and books. He had also nurtured the tradition of well-researched historical and sociological studies.
Dr. Tikekar was the President of The Asiatic Society of Mumbai for six years (2007 to 2013) during which he had initiated several projects to enthuse and motivate young research scholars, and had infused new ideas and programmes into the renowned institution.
The Asiatic Society of Mumbai has set up the Dr Aroon Tikekar Centre for Advanced Studies to honour his remarkable work and carry forward its tradition. This Centre is dedicated to nurturing scholars and generating research in a number of fields associated with Dr. Tikekar. The Sixth Dr. Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship through this Centre will be awarded on his birth anniversary on February 1, 2022. The research field chosen for this year is, “Literature: Fiction”. Under this broad subject, the following topics are suggested.
- Reflections of metro life in Marathi/English fiction, by Indian authors, from 1991 to date(fiction includes short story/novel/drama)
- Mythology reinterpreted in Marathi/English fiction, by Indian writers, from 1991 to date(fiction includes short story/ novel/ drama)
Scholars, academics, researchers and others are invited to apply for this prestigious fellowship. They can choose any one from the above given topics. The application form is available with The Asiatic Society of Mumbai office, and can also be downloaded from its website at www.asiaticsociety.org.in
The completed forms along with research proposals are to be submitted to reach us by 30th November 2021. They should be submitted through e-mail, post or courier to The Asiatic Society of Mumbai. The email id for the submissions is – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The terms of the Fellowship are mentioned on the application form. But briefly, the Fellow will have one year to complete his/her work, and will be awarded a total amount of Rs.1.25 lakh. Interested people in the age limit of 25-65 years are encouraged to apply. All other details and terms of the Tikekar Memorial Fellowship are available on the website and on the application form.
Download
1. Application form
2. Guidelines
3. Marathi
A jury comprising eminent people and experts in the subjects will select the scholar/researcher for the year.
- Dr. Usha R Vijailakshmi, Officiating Hon. Secretary, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai
THE 7TH Dr AROON TIKEKAR MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP NOW OPENS
The subject or topic of study for the 7th iteration of the Dr Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship for the year 2024-25 is: “Cultural and/or religious festivals of Maharashtra and/or Mumbai through sociological and economic lenses”
The Dr Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship now carries an award of Rs 2 lakh and offers the selected person the option to request a mentor if she/he would like to.
The last date for submitting applications is 1st July 2023. Interested scholars and researchers may download the application form from this website.
Download : Application Form
The 6th Dr. Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship for the year 2023-24 has been given to two applicants Mr Pankaj Bhosle and Dr Himanshu Smart.
Mr Bhosle, journalist at “Loksatta” and a former Kusumagraj Trust Fellow, will be working on his proposal “Reflections of metropolitan literary images in Marathi narrative literature” through which he will capture Mumbai’s geography reflected in stories and novels, and its influence on creativity.
Dr Smart, dramatist, professor and a recipient of Sahitya Rangabhoomi Pratisthan’s fellowship in the past, will be studying “Metropolitan, half-metropolitan and new metropolitan sensibilities reflected in Marathi dramas of last three decades” during the Tikekar Memorial Fellowship
The Asiatic Society of Mumbai's Dr Aroon Tikekar Centre for Advanced Studies is calling for applications for the fourth fellowship awarded in memory of the late scholar-researcher, editor and bibliophile.
The fourth Dr. Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship, to be awarded on his birth anniversary on February 1, 2020, will be in the field of "Contemporary Culture". Research proposals are invited in any one of the following areas:
1. The Culture of Reading: Changing trends
2. Literary Translations: Challenges and Opportunities.
3. Role of Libraries in the digital age.
Dr. Aroon Tikekar, well-regarded as an erudite scholar, researcher, writer, editor, bibliophile and eminent thinker passed away suddenly on January 19, 2016. He was the President of The Asiatic Society of Mumbai for six years (2007 to 2013) during which he had initiated several projects to enthuse and motivate young research scholars, and had infused new ideas and programmes into the renowned institution. To honour his remarkable work and carry forward its tradition, the Asiatic Society of Mumbai set up the Dr Aroon Tikekar Centre for Advanced Studies in 2016. This Centre is dedicated to nurturing scholars and generating research in a number of fields associated with Dr.Tikekar. It now has three Fellows who have produced research work in fields as diverse as the 'Revival of Bombay School of Art', 'Challenges in journalism', and 'Food Culture of Migrants'. This call is to invite scholars, academics, researchers and others to apply for the fourth edition of this prestigious Fellowship.
The application form is available with The Asiatic Society of Mumbai office. It can also be downloaded from its website at www.asiaticsociety.org.in The completed forms along with research proposals are to be submitted so as to reach us by November, 20, 2019. They can be submitted via regular post or courier to The Asiatic Society of Mumbai. They can be sent by email on the id This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The terms of the Fellowship are mentioned on the application form. Briefly, this is a one-year Fellowship with an award of Rs.1.25 lakh, and open to people between 25 and 65 years. All details and terms of the Dr Aroon Tikekar Memorial Fellowship are available on the website and on the application form. A jury comprising eminent people and experts in the subjects will select the scholar/ researcher for the year.
Any queries may be posted to the above email id and addressed to the undersigned.
- Dr. Meena Vaishampayan, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai