Wishesh magazine february 2018 Wishesh magazine february 2018 | Page 27

In the year 2017, Kumbh Mela became India’s 12th element in
the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage. In a UNESCO
general conference in 2003, a convention was adopted to
safeguard this list of cultural heritage, traditions and living
expressions.
2. The Tradition of
Vedic Chanting
The verses of the vedas were
traditionally chanted during
sacred rituals and recited
daily in Vedic communities.
It is Expressed in the Vedic
language, which is derived
from classical Sanskrit. The
value of this tradition lies
not only in the rich content
of its oral literature but also
in the ingenious techniques
employed by the Brahmin
priests in preserving the
texts intact over thousands
of year. In order to ensure
that even the sounds of the
word remains unchanged,
the practitioners are taught
right from their childhood the
proper and complex recitation
techniques and a unique
manner of pronouncing each
letter and specific speech
combinations.
3. Ramlila -
Ramlila is the traditional
performance of Ramayana.
It is a performance of the
Ramayana epic in a series
of scenes that include song,
narration, recital and dialogue.
Popularly performed across
northern India during the
festival of Dussehra, held
each year according to the
ritual calendar in autumn
The majority of the Ramlilas
recount episodes from the
Ramcharitmanas through a
series of performances lasting
about a proper of ten to twelve
days. Some, such like the
Ramnagar one, may last an
entire month. Ramlila depicts
the battle between Rama
and Ravana and consists
of a series of dialogues
between gods, sages and the
faithful. Ramlila shows that
dramatic force which stems
from the succession of icons
representing the climax of
each and every scene.
4. Novruz
A festivals of the Parsis in
India, Novruz marks the
New year and the beginning
of spring across the world
covering Azerbaijan, India,
Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan,
Turkey and Uzbekistan. It
is celebrated on 21 March
every year, a date originally
determined by astronomical
calculations. It included
colouring eggs in spring
colours.
various local traditions, such
as the evocation of Jamshid
who is a mythological king
of Iran. Novruz promotes the
values of peace and solidarity
between generations and
within families. It is also
about reconciliation and
neighbourliness. It has thus
been known in contributing
to cultural diversity and
friendship among peoples and
various communities.
5. Ramman
Ramman is a religious festival
and ritual theatre of the
Garhwal Himalayas, India. It is
performed in the honour of the
tutelary god, Bhumiya Devta,
a local divinity whose temple
houses most of the festivities .
Celebrated every year in late
April, in the twin villages of
Saloor-Dungra in the state
of Uttarakhand. This event is
made up of highly complex
rituals: the recitation of a
version of the epic of Rama
and various legends, and
the performance of songs
and masked dances. This
festival is organized by the
villagers, and each caste and
occupational group has a
distinct role to play in it.
Novruz is associated with
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