In News:

During a special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly, President of India Droupadi Murmu was presented with a traditional Ramman mask, bringing national attention to this centuries-old ritual festival practiced in the Garhwal region.

About the Ramman Festival

• Type: Annual religious and cultural festival
• Location: Twin villages of Saloor–Dungra, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand
• Time: Celebrated in late April during Baisakhi
• Deity: Dedicated to the tutelary deity Bhumiyal Devta, worshipped at his temple courtyard where the festival is performed.
• UNESCO Status: Inscribed in 2009 on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

UNESCO recognises Ramman as a multiform cultural event integrating theatre, music, historical reconstruction, and oral tradition—reinforcing the community’s identity and relationship with nature.

Key Features of the Festival

1. Rituals, Recitations & Divine Storytelling

• Begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesha, followed by the dance of the Sun God, and enactments of the birth of Brahma and Ganesha.
• Includes performances of Bur Deva, dances of Krishna and Radhika, and multiple ritual acts.
• Central attraction: Enactment of the local Ramkatha (episodes from the Ramayana), sung to 324 beats and steps.

2. Theatrical Performances & Masked Dances

• Combines narration, ritual drama, masked dances, music, and local legends.
• 18 different types of masks made from Bhojpatra (Himalayan birch) are used.
• Masks are accompanied by natural make-up materials such as sheep’s wool, honey, vermilion, wheat flour, oil, turmeric, soot, and plant-based dyes.

3. Instruments Used

• Dhol, Damau (percussion)
• Manjira, Jhanjhar (cymbals)
• Bhankora (trumpet)

4. Sacred Space & Community Participation

• Performed in the courtyard of Bhumiyal Devta temple.
• The entire village contributes—roles are caste-based:
  • Brahmins: lead rituals
  • Bhandaris (Rajputs): allowed to wear the sacred Narasimha mask
  • Das drummers (lower caste): play percussion
  • Jagaris/Bhallas (Rajput caste): act as bards singing epics and legends
• Funding and organisation are managed by village households collectively.

5. Transmission of Knowledge

• Oral transmission of epic songs, ritual lore, dance forms, mask-making, and traditional practices from elders to the younger generation.

Origin and Evolution

• Exact origins are unclear but believed to date back to medieval times.
• Linked to the arrival of Vaishnavite saints who brought the Ramayana tradition to the Central Himalayas.
• Initially a purely religious tradition centered on Ram bhakti, later expanded to include local folklore, social narratives, and community histories.

Examples of Local Narrative Additions

• Mwar–Mwarin dance: depicts the hardships of buffalo herders attacked by a tiger.
• Baniya–Baniyain Nritya: portrays the struggles of a trader-couple attacked by robbers.

These stories localise the Ramayana tradition, connecting mythic narratives to regional realities.

Cultural Significance

• Reinforces ties between humans, nature, and the divine.
• Ritual offerings include sprouted maize and barley seeds symbolising prosperity and agricultural abundance.
• Embodies the environmental, spiritual, and cultural ethos of the Garhwal Himalayan communities.