CULTURE OF UTTARAKHAND

The culture of Uttarakhand shows a distinctive pattern, with the elements from each of the ethnic
groups and sub-groups that resides in this place. It can be said that the culture of Uttarakhand is a
juncture where the different cultures of the Kumaoni-Garhwal meet. Talking about the culture of
Uttarakhand, we can begin with the people of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand houses seven different
ethnic groups, having as many as seven different cultures. Some of the important ethnic groups that
form a part of the culture of Uttarakhand are:

PEOPLE OF UTTARAKHAND:
In this context, it can be said that the people of Uttarakhand
are also known as Garhwali or Kumaoni; some of them are
also known as Paharis.
Jaunsari.
Bhotia.
Buksha.
Tharu.
Raji.

Languages: Hindi, Kumaoni, Garhwali, Jaunsari, Bhotiya etc.

Religion
Religion is big business in Uttarakhand, not just because it''s one of the important attractions for
domestic tourists, but also because it''s a vital part of daily life for the people of these hills. Large
segment of the people in Uttarakhand, especially in the upper reaches, are heterodox Buddhists and
Hindus. This is the area which has been known as `Dev Bhoomi''- the land of the gods. Many of
Hinduism''s most important shrines lie within Uttarakhand, tucked away in the mountains and along
the rivers of the state. Amongst these, the most sacred are the `Char Dham''- the four shrines of
Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, a pilgrimage of which is supposed to ensure instant
salvation. The sacred Ganga, on its foaming path down to the plains, meets its tributaries at what are
called the Panch Prayag- the five sacred `sangams'' of the river at Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag,
Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag. And that''s not all; Hardwar and Rishikesh are two of
Hinduism''s most prominent destinations for pilgrims, while the historical Gurudwara of Hemkund
Sahib, near the Valley of Flowers, is an important shrine for Sikh.

Fairs:
Devidhura Mela
Ardh Kumbh Mela,
Nanda Devi Mela,
Kumbh Mela,
Purnagiri Mela,
Gauchar Mela, etc.

Festivals
The festivals of Uttarakhand are very colorful and distinctive and are the blend of various social and

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cultural factors. The love for color and joyous celebrations of the people of Uttarakhand is well
reflected by the elaborate rituals and the gay abandon with which they surrender themselves to the
numerous festivals of the region. The people of Uttarakhand with much enthusiasm and ebullience
celebrate all the major festivals of the nation. The colorful festivals celebrated in the state therefore
curb the culture of Uttarakhand out. The festivals of Uttarakhand have contributed to the enrichment
of the state.
Pasant panchmi Nandadevi
Olgia /Ghee Sankranti Makar Sankranti
Ganga Dussehra / Dasara Phool Dei
Hill Jatra Bat Savitri
Janopunya Khatarua
Chhipla jaat Kumaon Holi
Kandali

Food
The beautiful state of Uttarakhand has a very simple, yet delicious cuisine. The food is nutritious as
well as tasty. The primary food of Uttarakhand includes vegetables, though non-veg food is also
served and savored by many.The primary characteristics of the Uttarakhand cuisine is that milk and
milk based products is sparingly used here.Coarse grain with high fibre content is very common in
Uttarakhand cuisines.Other food items which are famous are - mundua (Buck wheat) in the interior
regions of Kumaun, linguda, which is grown on the borders of Tibet and Nepal.It is also a part of the
Pahari cuisine as it helps to keep the stomach in order.Generally, either pure ghee or mustard oil is
used for the purpose of cooking food. Use of tomato is minimal in the cuisines of Uttarakhand.
Simple recipes of this state are made interesting with the use of hash seeds as spice.Some of the
famous cuisines of Uttarakhand include the following:
Kafuli
Fannah
Baadi
Ras
Bhatt Ki Churdkani
Arsa
Gulgula, etc.

Music and Dance

Music is an integral part of the Uttarakhand culture. the calm and serene ambiance of this place
surrounded with hills and mountains has inspired many musicians to compose great tones. the
scintillating glimpse of streams of rivers, lush green forests and the heavenly beauty of the hilly
areas are all the natural components of the folk music over here. they mainly include the spiritual
and socio-cultural scenes of the place. some of the popular folk songs are `Mandals`, `panwaras` and
somber `khuded`, `thadya` and `jhoda`.these folk songs are composed on the beats and nodes of
Dhol, damoun, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora and masakbhaja.Although with the
upcoming advancement in science and technology, the music in uttarakhand has also gained a lot of
changes over the years.
many musical legends are associated with this place.meena rana who has released multiple albums in
her voice is also known as "Lata Mangeshkar of Uttarakhand". langvir nritya is a dance form for
males and in many ways similar to gymnastic movements. Barada Nati folk dance is another famous

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dance of Dehradun, which is practiced on some religious festivals.

Music: Chhopati, Chounphula, Jhumeila, Basanti, Mangal, Puja Folk Songs etc.

Dance: Langvir Nritya, Barada Nati, Pandav Nritya etc.

CRAFT OF UTTARAKHAND

AIPAN-FOLK ART

Aipan , the main component of Kuumaoni folk art is more commonly known as Alpana making in
various parts of the country. This art has its origin in the ritualistic pratices of the Kumaonis and has
been passed through generations as a part of tradition. Aipan expresses the sancity of the creative
imagination of these people.
The motifs of Aipan are used in shawls & stoles, wall hangings, bookmarks, photo
frames ,coasters, tablemats, cards, stickers etc.

Ringaal Handicrafts

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Found in the abundance all over the Himalayas, Ringaal is a species of bamboo used for making
various types of baskets,kitchen utility items, mats (moshtas), furniture etc. Unlike the tropical
variety of bamboos, which grow at lower heights and in wet climates, Ringaal is the temperate
species found in higher and colder regions. The farmers of Kumaon are experts in making
beautiful crafts from Ringaal. However, they practice this craft more as a tradition than as a means
of earning livelihood.

RAMBAANS HANDICRAFTS

Adding a new look to the traditional crafts made from jute and hemp, the Rambaans crafts have
created good market demand in a surprisingly short period. As many as 300 species of Rambanns
plants generally known as sisal are found in abundance all over these hills. Some of these species

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yield fibers, which can be used to weave various decorative and utility items like bags, purses, wall
hangings and show pieces.

COPERWARES

Copper is deeply integrated with the Himalayan Culture from as old a period as the 12th century,
when a number ofcraftsmen from the plains migrated and came here. The art of copperware, which
took birth then, has kept evolving with time. The coppersmiths make gagars or coper pots, water
tillers, drinking glasses, musical instruments, masks and other utility items used in houses and
temples.

WOODEN CRAFTS

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 Exquisite woodwork has been the specialty of Uttarakhand since times immemorial. Abundance of timber,
the suitable temperature for insulation of wood, availability of local, skilled labour, prevalence of family
tradition has contributed to the growth of this craft in this region.
Historical evidences also support the presence of intricate wooden carvings in Uttarkahnd.
Entire woodworks of ‘chaukhats’ and ‘tibaaris’ found here are now on display in the National Museum of
Delhi. Some of the carvings in the Gunjyal villageare as old as 600 years.
Utility and decorative items like walking sticks, animalfigures, miniature models of famous temples, idolsof
Gods etc made by Uttarkhand craftsmen have acquired special place. Apart from that products made
of driftwood and pine bark carving are some other beautiful pieces produced by these craftsmen.

HANDLOOM

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Owing to its altitudinal placement , Uttarakhand provides climatic conditions most appropriate for
animals like sheep, angorarabbits and pashmina goats. This has given it the scope to extract some of
the finest quality of wool from these animals. Thuswoolen products are a dominant craft in this area.
Traditionally woolen crafts were produced in thes regions mainly for local consumption. In the rural
and border areas, woolextracted from animals like sheep is used to make products
like kaaleen, pankhi , thulma (thick blanket) chutka etc. The designs and techniques used are
influenced by the neighbouring Tibet. While Johar-Munisiyari in Pithoragarh district is famous for
producing woolen carpets and thulma. Almora has been producing its famous tweeds, woolen
carpets and artisticwoolen shawls. The other places where this craft has been practiced
are Bageshwar, Nainital, Dehradun, Chamoli,Rudraprayag and Uttarkhashi.

PAINTINGS
Uttarakhand is interspersed with lush green trees,
towering mountains and a clear blue sky. These
things are enough to make someone a poet or an
artist. This is just a fraction of the beauty of the hilly
territory. Uttaranchal or specifically, Garhwal is
home to one of the most beautiful and defining
‘Gharanas’ of miniature paintings known as the
Garhwal School of Painting.

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TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
Temple architecture in any part of India has always been patronized by the kings and people ruling
there as a way to leave an imprint on the pages of history. The rulers of yesteryears built some of the
intricately carved and exquisite places of worship.

DEKARA
Dekaras are the clay models of the various Gods and Goddesses in three dimensional forms and are
meant solely for worshipping purposes. These idols are prepared out of fine clay mixed with color.
They are treated through different hues to make them look more attractive. During the festival of
Kartik Sankranti, Lord Shiva's images are made which are known as Dekaras, and these depict the
marriage of Shiva with Parvathi, the daughter of Himalaya.

ORNAMENTS
Uttarakhand, especially Garhwal and Kumaon region is famous for its ornaments. In almost every
part of these two districts, goldsmiths make tradional ornaments using various designs and patterns
which are thousands of years old. These instruments are mostly made in gold, silver and often
copper.

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 ARCHITECTURE STYLE OF UTTARAKHAND
Despite being located in the seismically highly vulnerable region, Uttarakhand shows an elaborate tradition
of constructing multistoried houses. Detailed investigations suggest that the region had evolved a distinct
and elaborate earthquake-safe construction style as early as 1000 yrs BP. This is known as the Koti Banal
architecture.

The significant features of the Koti Banal architecture include:

(i) simple layout,
(ii) construction on elaborate, solid and raised platform,
(iii) judicious use of locally available building material,
(iv) incorporation of wooden beams all through the height of the building at regular intervals,
(v) small openings and
(vi) shear walls.
The Koti Banal architecture, however, did not cater to the comfort of the inhabitants.

Simple but majestic architecture of traditional houses in

Dharali village.

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 Five-storied structure of Koti Banal architecture constructed
880 ± 90 yrs BP.

Housed and nailed joints used for fixing the wooden components
of the Koti Banal architecture.

Despite being located in an earthquake-prone region, residents of Uttarkashi do not hesitate in

constructing multi-storey houses. These elaborate buildings in Rajgarhi area of Uttarkashi district of

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Uttarakhand are perfect examples of splendid architecture as well as earthquake-resistant
engineering.

Called Koti Banal, these buildings have been named after a village in the district and have
successfully survived many minor and major earthquakes in the past ten centuries.
Even the extremely disastrous earthquakes, in recent times the 1991 and the 1999 ones that killed
thousands of people and caused immense damage to property including many concrete structures
in the state, could not move these buildings. One such building in Guna has been standing tall for
more than 728 years now.

Koti Banal style came into existence about 900 years ago and is hailed as one of the
finest specimens of architecture as well as of earthquake-resistant design. The houses are built
using locally available materials like stone-filled solid platforms and there is an extensive use of
wood, which offer special advantages over other materials during earthquakes.

The height of these houses is usually 7 to 12 metres above the base. The traditional houses usually have five
storeys. Some of the key features of these houses include a simple layout of the structure; construction on
an elaborate, solid and raised platform; incorporation of wooden beams all through the height of the
building at regular intervals; small openings and shear walls.
Extensive use of locally available wood was made in these homes since wood is an elasto-plastic material
with the ability to absorb the brunt of an earthquake.

The sole objective behind the construction of these houses was safety and not much attention was paid to
the comfort of the inhabitants. This reason has led to many such dwellings being abandoned in recent times.

People have also started destroying these structures in order to use the building material for the
construction of new and modern houses. Lack of awareness is further causing the slow death of these
traditional houses which represent a strong cultural heritage

TRADITIONAL MATERIALS

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People have been constrcuctind STONE houses for 100 years in hilly region of uttarakhand since it
was most abundant found material. TIMBER has been the second most abundant material used in
the combination with stone for roofing.

STONE AS BUILDING MATERIAL

“hard solid non-metallic mineral matter of which rock is made, especially as a building material”
Stone has been used since ancient times as a building material.In most areas where stone is available,
it has been favoured over other materials for the construction of monumental architecture. Its
advantages are durability, adaptability to sculptural treatment, and the fact that it can be used in
modest structures in its natural state.

RANDOM RUBBLE MASONRY

There are different types of random rubble masonry as shown below:

Dressed stone massonry or “DHARIA MUNIA” in mud mortar or urad daal: This is found in
munsiari dharchaborious and time consumingula area. It is very high in quality and laborious and

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time consuming. This type of wall is known to perform very well in the earthquake and hence
building as old as 200 years are still found to be standing.

Partly dressed or “DHARIA MUNIA” with no mortar: This option is found in various areas of
kumaon. The stones are substantially dressed. Hence, the process is time consuming. This type of
wall is not as good as the fully dressed version.

The Random Rubble Massonry is mostly found in this region. The local people report thatlarge
undressed stone in matrix of stone chips have performed well in the past earthquake.

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