In True Spirit

SAMIKSHA KHANDURI SOAKS IN THE COLOURS OF RAMMAN, AN INTRIGUING RITUAL THEATRE FROM THE PAIKHANDA VALLEY

- SAMIKSHA KHANDURI

Our cultural memory is the strongest of all; it is passed on like traces within our DNA over countless centuries. There is a definite need to preserve this heritage, which is where Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICG) comes in. In India, the traditions that have made their way into its compendium include Koodiyattam, the Sanskrit theatre of Kerala; yoga; the ritual Manipuri tradition of Sankirtana; and brass and copper utensil-making by Punjab’s Thathera community. But there’s a little-known tradition that was inscribed into the list in 2009— the colourful Ramman festival of the Garhwal Himalaya.

My curiosity to witness a typical village festival sprouted from my father’s childhood experiences at rural fairs. There is always a sense of community in such storytelling, as your mind, a tabula rasa (‘blank slate’) innocently carves and buries stories of its liking deep within.

A month after leaving my job, I set out for the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra, Ramman’s long-time home. Nestled in the Paikhanda Valley of the Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, we drove for 10 hours from Dehradun to Joshimath, the base for the trip. As we retired for the night, a friend from the villages left a message for us: the festivities would begin at 1pm, immediately after the Hindu New Year.