Intangible Heritage List – Burning Issues

Table of Contents

On 18^thApril , World Heritage day, the Ministry of Culture released a list of 106 intangible heritage of
These entries emphasise India’s unique cultural
This national list is a work in progress and may be considered as a draft version.
The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India is an attempt to recognize the diversity of Indian culture embedded in its intangible heritage.
It aims to raise awareness about the various intangible cultural heritage elements from different states of India at national and international level and ensure their protection.

UNESCO

UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance
The recent list by Ministry of Culture also includes the 13 elements of India that have already been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Following UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, this list has been classified into five broad domains in which intangible cultural heritage is manifested:

Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage
Performing arts
Social practices, rituals and festive events
Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
Traditional craftsmanship

Tradition of Vedic chanting
Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana
Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre
Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas.
Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala
Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan
Chhau dance
Buddhist chanting of Ladakh
Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur
Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab
Yoga
Nawrouz
Kumbh Mela

Sri Kalahasti near the temple town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh specializes in producing temple cloths – Kalamkari – primarily used for their temple festivals or as wall hangings.
The stories from the epics Ramayan , Mahabharat and the Puranas are painted.

Songs of Shaman
Sattriya Music, Dance and Theatre
Assam
This body of cultural expressions is inextricably associated with rituals and ceremonies in the
Sattra, a monastic institution of Vaisnavite faith and

The tradition of Vaishnava theatre popularly known as Ankiya Nat was introduced by Sankaradeva as a medium to propagate Bhakti among the people

Salhesh is the chief deity of the socially marginalized Dusadh dalit community.
The festival of Salhesh provides identity, social cohesion and self respect to the community.
Celebrated every year during the auspicious month of Shravan (Rainy season)
The chief components of the festival are folklore, rituals, craftsmanship and performing arts.

Nacha is one of the most noted folk theatre forms in the state of
It is performed in nearly all the areas of Chhattisgarh except Sarguja and Bastar regions.

For transgenders, singing and dancing is a respectable mode of livelihood.
Such groups engage themselves in attending merry ritualistic functions of family and society, like child birth or marriage ceremony.
Over the years, they have made their presence significantly felt by convening events such as Vachan Vaachan Mahotsav (Delhi), Kinnar Mahotsav (Patna), etc.

Traditional folk theatre form, Maharashtra and Goa .
Dashavatar is a popular traditional theatre form with a history of eight hundred years. The term Dashavatar refers to the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
It is performed during the annual festival of the village deity in the temple premises after midnight, without any technical props

Double Ikat Silk Textiles of Patan.
Produced by a complex process known as double ikat
unique in its geometric floral and figurative patterns executed with precision of design planning, and meticulously accurate weaving alignment which results in precise outline of the patterns.
This requires immense visualisation and coordination skills.

Jangam Gāyan is a narrative sung by the Jangam community.
It is performed in the temple courtyards of Shiva temples to huge gatherings.
Sometimes, there are public performances in village squares.
The main component of Jangam Gāyan is a poem that deals with the narrative of the wedding of Shiva and Parvati.
The poem is sung in a chorus and the singers double up as actors and musicians, as they dramatise the sequence of events leading up to the wedding.

Knowledge of Healing or Science of Healing
It is an ancient Indian medical system conceived and propounded by Lord Buddha in India
Later it was enriched in the entire Trans- Himalayan region.
Sowa-Rigpa is the traditional medical system of Ladakh, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalingpong (West Bengal); Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Dharamsala regions of Himachal Pradesh; Mon- Tawang and west Kameng regions of Arunachal Pradesh and Tibetan settlements in various parts of India.
Sowa-Rigpa is traditionally practiced in Bhutan, Mongolia, Tibet, China, Nepal and some parts of Central Asia.

Haran is a traditional folk theatre form performed during Lohri festival.
It is mostly performed in hilly regions of Jammu, especially Duggar Pradesh.
Dogra community
Haran is derived from the Hindi ward “Hiran” i.e. Deer.
The Group that plays Haran comprises of 10-15 members who perform different characters and amuse the spectators while delivering very important messages on social and political evils.
Two artists act as “Hiran” who are well decorated like a beautiful Deer with ”Ghungrus” tied to their feet.
Two anchors perform as Lamberdar and Chowkidar, whereas others support them in the character of old woman, Narad, Sadhu, Patwari, Gujjar, Gujjari, Maskhara etc.
The characters may change depending upon the situations.

The word Chhau originates from ‘Chhaya’ meaning shadow.
It is a form of mask dance that uses vigorous martial movements to narrate mythological stories.
There are three main styles of Chhau dance –

Shadow Puppet Theatre Traditions of Karnataka
The narratives are mainly based on the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Puranas, local myths and tales.

Sanskrit theatre, Kerala
Oldest continuing form of theatre that has survived since 10th century A.D. in Kerala.
It completely adheres to the rules laid down in Natya Shastra