Intangible Cultural Heritage
Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas, India
Every year in late April the twin villages of SaloorDungra in the state of Uttarakhand northern India are marked by Ramman a religious festival in honour of the tutelary god Bhumiyal Devta a local divinity whose temple houses most of the festivities 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 The festival is organized by villagers and each caste and occupational group has a distinct role For example youth and the elders perform the Brahmans lead the prayers and perform the rituals and the Bhandaris representing locals of the Kshatriya caste are alone entitled to wear one of the most sacred masks that of the halfman halflion Hindu deity Narasimha The family that hosts Bhumiyal Devta during the year must adhere to a strict daily routine Combining theatre music historical reconstructions and traditional oral and written tales the Ramman is a multiform cultural event that reflects the environmental spiritual and cultural concept of the community recounting its founding myths and strengthening its sense of selfworth In order to ensure that it remains viable the communitys priorities are to promote its transmission and to obtain its recognition beyond the geographical area in which it is practised
India