AN ENTHRALLING EVENING OF KUMAONI RAMLEELA TO MARK 200 HERITAGE WALKS

An enthralling evening of Kumaoni Ramleela was organized by heritage awareness group Been There, Doon That? to commemorate the completion of 200 heritage walks and four years of walking in the Doon Valley. The group has just concluded its 200thwalk which was in Mussoorie.

BTDT is a community of people who have come together for heritage walks across the state of Uttarakhand to raise awareness about its heritage and culture.

The Kumaoni Ramleela was presented by singer Himanshu Joshi, the lead singer for the popular band Indian Ocean. Himanshu Joshi began singing on stage as a child in the Almora Ramleela. Today, he is a well-known filmmaker, poet and photographer. He has also made the acclaimed film titled ‘OPERAMA’ on the Ramleela of Kumaon.

Elaborating the unique Ramleela, Mr. Joshi said th

at it was a beautiful mingling of many traditions since it carries verses in Hindi and Urdu which lends it a unique persona. “The Kumaoni Ramleela is one of the most striking aspects of the culture of Uttarakhand and there is a greater need to preserve such traditions.”

 Mr. Joshi performed some engaging verses from the Ramleela that talked about episodes like Lord Rama and Sita’s marriage among other stories. The event was attended by more than 200 viewers who enjoyed the performance and sat in rapt attention through the event.

The evening also witnessed the celebration of the completion of four years and 200 heritage walks of Been There, Doon That? which included screening of films on Uttarakhand made by team BTDT and IWoot Media and a recap of all the exceptional walks done by the group last year like Hanol, Almora, Mussoorie Masonic Lodge and Uttarkashi. The group is also working with several communities across the state to promote responsible tourism and spread awareness about the tangible and intangible heritage of Uttarakhand.