Festivals, rice beer in intangible cultural heritage list

Culture Ministry publishes draft list of more than 100 items, seeks public comment

April 18, 2020 07:26 pm | Updated 07:26 pm IST - NEW DELHI

A worker adjusts a turban, part of a huge collection, in a museum in the western Indian city of Jodhpur on December 9, 2000. The museum houses 150 turbans symbolising the tradition of the people of the state of Rajasthan. Turbans convey the wearer's caste, financial status and religion, they show what kind of man the individual is and where he comes from. Modernization is slowly fading away the colorful turban tradition, practised by Indian men for centuries.       REUTERS/Kamal Kishore

A worker adjusts a turban, part of a huge collection, in a museum in the western Indian city of Jodhpur on December 9, 2000. The museum houses 150 turbans symbolising the tradition of the people of the state of Rajasthan. Turbans convey the wearer's caste, financial status and religion, they show what kind of man the individual is and where he comes from. Modernization is slowly fading away the colorful turban tradition, practised by Indian men for centuries. REUTERS/Kamal Kishore

Manipur’s tradition of making rice beer, the practice of tying turbans in Rajasthan and several different dances, forms of music and festivals from across the country were among the 106 items listed as intangible cultural heritage in a draft released by the Union Culture Ministry on Saturday.

Releasing the list, Culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel said 13 traditions of Indian intangible cultural heritage were already recognised by UNESCO and the national list was an attempt to further awareness and protection to more such elements. The initiative is a part of the ministry’s Vision 2024 programme. In the list released on the ministry’s website, a total of 106 practices from different States are mentioned, though some are repeated as they occur in more than one State and five elements are common to the whole country.

As per the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the list has five broad categories — oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, knowledge and practices related to nature and traditional craftsmanship, the Culture ministry observed in a statement. This list was a “work in progress and may be considered a draft version”, the ministry added. There was, however, no deadline for the public to send in contributions, suggestions or amendments, an official said, declining to be identified.

Among the traditions seen across the country are the devotional music of Qawwali and the music of the oldest instrument in the country, the Veena. The Kumbh Mela and Ramlila traditions of different States have also been included.

The list includes the traditional folk festival of Pachoti in Assam, where the birth of a baby, particularly a male infant as the tradition “relates to the birth of Krishna”, is celebrated with relatives and neighbours, according to the ministry.

The oral traditions of the transgender community called Kinnar Kanthgeet and compositions of Ameer Khusro are among the entries from Delhi.

Gujarat’s Patola silk textiles from Patan with its geometric and figurative patterns also made it to the list. The practice of tying a turban or safa across Rajasthan was a part of the list.

From Jammu and Kashmir, the Kalam Bhat or Qalambaft gharana of Sufiana music in Budgam district and from Ladakh, the Buddhist chanting across both Leh and Kargil districts were on the list of intangible cultural heritage.

The making of khor, a rice beer, by the Tangkhul community in Manipur as well as other crafts associated with it, like making gourd vessels and wicker baskets, were also on the list.

Kerala’s martial art form, Kalaripayuttu, and the practice of making designs at the entrance of homes and temples called kolam in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were also included in the list. Different forms of shadow puppet theatre — Chamadyacha Bahulya in Maharashtra, Tolu Bommalatta in Andhra Pradesh, Togalu Gombeyatta in Karnataka, Tolu Bommalattam in Tamil Nadu, Tolpava Kuthu in Kerala and Ravanchhaya in Orissa — have also been included.

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