Non-Material Cultural Heritage in India

Study Notes

Non-material heritage encompasses traditions, customs, beliefs, and performing arts handed down through generations, felt rather than physically touched.
Examples include oral stories, dance forms, music, cooking traditions, and systems of medicine.

Preserving non-material heritage is vital for maintaining cultural identity and diversity within India.
It fosters unity amidst diversity—appreciating different traditions and practices enhances social cohesion.
Understanding non-material heritage promotes the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or universal brotherhood.

Oral storytelling has been a method for knowledge transmission in Indian culture, with grandparents and elders sharing stories before written texts were widely available.
Significant texts like the Vedas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata were initially preserved orally for approximately three millennia.
Storytellers, folk singers, and puppeteers have played crucial roles in conveying tales from Hindu religious texts such as the Puranas and the Panchatantra.

Performing arts include dance, music, and drama, historically structured for audience engagement.
The Natya Shastra is a foundational treatise on performing arts in India, authored by sage Bharata Muni approximately 2,500 years ago.

Indian dance is divided into classical and folk categories:
- Classical Dance: Typically temple-oriented and steeped in religious themes with strict techniques. Major forms include Odissi, Manipuri, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Kathakali.
- Folk Dance: Primarily celebratory, reflecting joy during festivals and rituals, with notable styles including Bhangra (Punjab), Rouf (Kashmir), Bihu (Assam), Ghoomar (Rajasthan), and Thiruvathira (Kerala).

Folk theatre, known by various names like noutonki, tamasha, and jotra, depicts stories from epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, highlighting the significance of drama in cultural narratives.
Modern stage dramas address societal issues like hygiene, poverty, and child labor.

Music in India is classified into classical (Hindustani and Carnatic) and folk:
- Hindustani Music: Developed in Northern India and typically features instruments such as tabla and harmonium, often used in wedding ceremonies.
- Carnatic Music: Emanates from Southern India, utilizing instruments like the violin and mridangam, with a distinct structural style characterized by roagas and talas.