Cultural Conservation

TOGETHER WE CAN

The generations are connected both in the past and the present through their culture and heritage. As a result, every generation has a critical obligation to uphold for the maintenance and survival of our folk traditions, celebrations, culture, music, and instruments. The Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Society organises folk festivals, cultural activities, etc. throughout the year that are attended by the majority of the population of the town, keeping in mind the aforementioned viewpoint. An instance of these occasions is an ancient Kumauni-style Ramleela. History of Kumaoni style Ramleela – The history of the Kumaoni-style Ramleela, which is 190 years old, is extensive. Pt. Devidutt Joshi produced the first Ramleela in this style in Moradabad in 1830. The late Badridutt Joshi of Danya is credited with initiating the staging of Ramleela in Almora in the year 1860. Devidutt Joshi worked hard to present Ramleela in a lyrical manner in Patia, Satrali, Chakrata, and Bhimtal as well. In 1890, Shivlal Sah founded Ramleela in Bageshwar.

Since that time, Almora has been maintaining the legacy, and thanks to the efforts of the SBK society, this ramleela was set up in this area prior to the formation of the society. The SBK society offers assistance to the Shri Bhubhneshwar Mahadev Mandir evam Ramleela Samiti in order to maintain this heritage, and they support this with all of their might. For the 11 days of Navratri and Dussehra this year due to the pandemic, the Ramleela was virtually organised with live performances of the artists on local channels and Facebook. The various artists who perform in these Ramleela acts received two months of training and practise (also known as talim) from senior artists and professionals who have been performing for years.

By doing this, we can guarantee that the heritage will be preserved and carried on. In the entire Kumaon Region in the year 2020, Ramleela was completely arranged by Shri Bhubhneshwar Mahadev Mandir evam Ramleela Samiti. Team SBK and Ramleela Samiti used Facebook Live to broadcast the event live. Satya Path News and Pahad Express News also used their social media platforms to provide live coverage of local news channels. Facebook Live was used to watch the coverage of 23 Ramleela live. The virtual session received more than 1 million views across various social media channels.