Conservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage

This assignment delves into the preservation of Ramayana's cultural significance in India. It highlights the challenges faced by rural artists managing Ram Leela groups, which are vulnerable to economic losses due to the lack of corporate involvement. The assignment also discusses UNESCO Conventions and conservation policies aimed at safeguarding intangible heritage. Recommendations include establishing committees, providing financial assistance, launching awareness campaigns, and organizing competitions among Ram Leela performance groups.

Running head: INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note:

1INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Case study selection
• The intangible cultural heritage of India called “Ram Leela” which is a performing art is
chosen for this paper. It is a theatrical presentation of Indian scripture Ramayana.
• One may visit northern Indian states to experience the performances in rural regions.
However, “Ram Leela” is now performed in big auditoriums in larger cities as well.
• The significance of this art form in Indian sub continental region is very high because the
performance is based on the scriptural history of India. People in India have deep regard
for the scriptures and they venerate “Ram Leela” as a holy even that often unfolds
throughout the night (Jafa, 2012).
Description of place or collection
The Ramleela celebrations were announced by UNESCO as one of the "Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008. Ramlila is especially remarkable in truly critical
Hindu urban areas of “Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, Almora, Satna and Madhubani” –
urban communities in “Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh”. The
epic and its sensational play moved into southeast Asia in the first thousand years CE,
and Ramayana based Ramleela is a piece of execution expressions culture of Indonesia
especially the Hindu society of Bali, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand. In the
nineteenth and twentieth hundreds of years, with the development of Asian diaspora into
European states as obligated workers, the social festival of Ramleela is presently found in

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numerous parts of the world Provide an overview description of the site or collection
(Mahabir & Chand, 2015).
Methodology
The methodology would include experiencing “Ram Leela” first hand and
understanding from the audience, the cultural impact this particular play has on their
lifestyle. This comprises of the primary data for the research. Primary data is the one
which id directly collected from the source by the researchers. Apart from that existing
books, scholarly articles, researches, news stories and write ups from authentic sources
will be studied to understand the history and variation of Ram Leela. This comprises the
secondary data for the research. Secondary data is the information which is not directly
collected by the researcher but is taken from other authentic sources and existing
researches and literature.
Elements of significance
• The Hindu workmanship, religion and social history have been principally influenced by
two noteworthy artistic works of antiquated India: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The Ramayana has gone through hundreds of years and human advancements in the
Indian inception and culture. Its impact has been on each living being in India, as well as
nearly the entire of South-East Asia (Yousof, 2015). The Ramayana has intensely cut out
the building pieces of Hindu religion and its hugely assorted culture. The Great Indian
esteems and legacy owes its reality to Valmiki's epic story. Indeed, even in the present
ages, the essential human morals and qualities can be followed out back to the Ramayana.

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Ramayana can answer every one of an individual’s inquiries and issues of their present
life. The answers for human issues lie in following the belief systems displayed in the
epic.
• Ram Leela which is the theatrical representation of Ramayan has been the source of
spirituality, entertainment, morality and lifestyle for crores of rural Indians throughout
ages.
Figure 1 and 2: Scenes from Ram Leela
Significance comparisons
• In many places all over the world there are specialized art forms that has been performed
from generations and has now become intangible cultural heritage of the geographical area. In
Bhutan the art form called “Drmetse Ngacham” is one such intangible cultural asset and heritage.
In this traditional performance drums and masks are used. Nga translates to “drums” and Cham
signifies “mask dance”. This particular dance form is performed during the fifth and tenth month
of the Bhutanese calendar when the Drametse calender.

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Another example can be the Khmer shadow theatre which are types of shadow
play in which calfskin shadow manikins are utilized. The two principle classifications are
Sbek Thom, which includes the Reamker, and Sbek Toch, which utilizes little manikins
and an extensive variety of stories. Another kind called Sbek Por utilizes shaded cowhide
manikins. The shadow plays of Cambodia are firmly identified with and furthermore take
after the shadow plays of Thailand
• There are various other traditional art forms that can be listed. However, the importance
of Ram Lila in the Indian population is much more important as the play exhibits
incidents from the life of Rama, who is considered to the incarnation of the Supreme
Personality of God according to Indian scriptures (Oswald, 2016). Therefore, people
venerate, respect, and relate to the theatre.
Assessment of significance
• Some of the Heritage Criterions of the United Nations which can explain the significance
of Ram Leela are:
 “To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.”
 “To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a
civilization which is living or which has disappeared.”
 “To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas,
or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal
significance.”

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• Documenting specific aspects of Ram Leela can be done by taking testimony of the
people whose lives have been directly or indirectly transformed by the play. The theatre
artists who enact the scriptural roles are directly engaged in the phenomenon, whereas the
audience who may pick up certain moral aspects from the play and practically apply that
in life can be indirect beneficiaries.
• It was found by talking to the rural audience that most of the people acknowledge
following the directions and moral advices given by the characters throughout the play. In
addition, they conceded that the play was a major factor for their entertainment and
recreation.
Statement of significance
Valmiki Ramayana's significant effect over the civic establishments can be featured
in the way that the epic has prompted the generation of various Ramayanas, very nearly 300
inventive works spreading over the cross areas of an assortment of districts, dialects and
nations (Singh, 2015). The Ramayana has been adjusted suiting to the nearby conditions. On
the off chance that individuals feel that the impact of Ramayana is just confined to India, or
South-East Asia, one must reconsider (Srivastava & Jha, 2015). The immense volumes of
research work done on Ramayana is mind boggling in its own particular sense. There is an
unending rundown of interpretations accessible on Ramayana in an assortment of dialects,
even Arabic and Uzbec. The voyagers, mariners and merchants over the circumstances have
spread the information, standards and estimations of the considerable Indian magnum opus.
Accordingly, we see that the Ramayana knows no limits, imperatives and boundaries of
dialect, fringes, and assorted varieties. Ramayana has transcended them through the ages,

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demonstrating that it is something beyond another work of writing. It relates to the lives of
people, their ethical esteems and morals.
Management issues
The ancient art form which is very popular in the rural part of India is often neglected by
the urban people, and the apathy of the urban population towards its own intangible cultural
heritage is causing damage to the art form. The artists who have taken the responsibility of
taking forward the cultural heritage are economically challenged. Apart from that the revolution
of television, internet and mobile has taken even the rural areas by storm which has made the
youth disinterested in theatres and plays.
The Ram Leela groups are managed by rural people hence the corporate system is not yet
introduced which makes the group vulnerable to economic losses. In addition, some groups are
interpreting Ramayana in a modern way which is making it losing its essence (Saha, 2016)
Conservation policies
Because of the two UNESCO Conventions, one 'to shield and ensure Intangible Heritage'
and the other on 'Social Diversity', the administration has started proactive measures to defend
and secure social decent variety and the different articulations of intangible legacy confronting
the danger of vanishing. The upkeep and support of exhibition halls and archeological
destinations will significantly enhance with the presentation of current innovation and
redeployment of existing staff. To begin with, security administrations have just been outsourced
and the likelihood for outsourcing in territories like consultancy and upkeep should be inspected

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in detail. Production through private division ought to be empowered as they have all the
advanced innovation and know-how to create the best from the most exceedingly terrible. Store
work is clearly done by the private area. As the Ministry of Culture has been confronting
intermittent slices in expense because of poor spending amid the initial two quarters, legitimate
use arranging in the field of workmanship and culture, a few plans are being executed without
evaluating the procedure and effect.
Recommendations
 Establishing committees to formulate policy to safeguard and preserve the art form.
 Providing financial assistance to the artists who are performing.
 Launching awareness campaigns to raise the interest of the general population.
 To start competitions at state and national level among Ram Leela performance groups
and give them financial rewards.

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References
Jafa, N. (2012). Performing Heritage: Art of Exhibit Walks. SAGE Publications India.
Mahabir, K., & Chand, S. J. (2015). The phenomenon of Ramleela/Ramlila theatre in
Trinidad. Nidan: International Journal for Indian Studies, 27(1_2), 1-21.
Oswald, P. (2016). The Ramayana. Oberon Books.
Saha, S. (2016). Performing Alternative Ramayana: A study of the (re) presentation and (re)
reading of the Epic in Modern Bengali Theatre.
Singh, N. (2015). Oral Tradition and Performative World of Ramlila in Odisha.
Srivastava, S., & Jha, V. (2015). Religious, NonReligious and the Changing Consciousness of
the Ramlila. Consciousness, Literature & the Arts, 16(2).
Yousof, G. S. (2015). Southeast Asian Adaptations of the Ramayana and their Use in the
Indonesian-Malaysian Shadow Play with Special Reference to
Characterization. Malaysian Journal of Performing and Visual Arts, 1(1), 39-51.