The Kumaonese are fond of music, folk dance and songs accompanied by local musical instruments like murli, bina, and hurka. The hurka is played by the "jurkiya" and the dancer accompanying him, known as "hurkiyari", is usually his wife or daughter. They go from place to place narrating folklores, singing the praise of their gods and goddesses. During fairs and festivals and at harvest time, the Kumaonese often dance the Jharva, Chandhur Chhapalior and many other forms of folk dances. The popular folk songs are Malushahi, Bair and Hurkiya Bol.

Malushahi is intricately woven in the cultural folklore of Kumaon. Malu, a boy living in Dwarahat, once sees a Bhutian girl, Rajula, in his dream and is charmed by her beauty -- so much so that he leaves his home in search of her.

After walking two hundred odd miles he meets the girl, who has had a similar dream. Malu approaches the girl's father Sunpati Shauka and asks for his daughter's hand, to which the father does not agree. Malu decides to fight the issue and succeeds. He returns home happy. This story forms an integral part of Kumaon folklore.

The Kumaonese people's love of music prompted the famous Udai Shankar and Anna Parilova to set up their dancing school at Almora in the region.

Kumaon has inherited rich treasures of art from Katyuri and Chand kings, who built great temples at Bajinath, Dwarahat, Jageshwar, Katarmal, and Champavat.

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Society

No religious ceremony is considered complete without the wife joining the husband. Women also work in the fields and forests alongside the men. In Kumaon, bigamy or polygamy has religious sanctions but polyandry is prohibited.

Widow marriage and re-marriage by divorced women is permitted except in certain sections of ""high caste" Brahmins and Rajputs. Child marriage is still practised in all classes of society despite legal restrictions on it. It has all but disappeared from the educated society.

Kumaon comprises the three hill districts of Nainital, Almorah and Pithoragarh. It is bordered by Kali Nadi in the east towards Nepal and the districts of Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli to the west. Tibet lies to the north and the Terai to the south. The inhabitants of this region, besides having martial traditions, have inherited a belief in a number of gods and goddesses -- the gods Bhima, Bhairav and Nanda are worshipped with great reverence. These gods are the protectors of land, people and harvest. Crimes are few in number and disputes are normally settled by invoking the village gods through 'jagar', which keeps the defaulter shuddering under the devastating impact of public insinuation and exposure.

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Fair and festive

Almora is a place where through out the year festive mood prevails. The atmosphere and enviornment is so refreshing that people are filled with vigour and vitality. The major festivals of India are celebrated but there are some feativals which carry the traditional fanfair of Almora. In Januray comes the Maker Sankranti, on this occassion a week long fair is oragnised at Bageshwar. This fair provides a good window to the varied and diverse culture of the Kumaon region. On Shivaratri a fair is organised at Jageshwar and on Kartik Purnima another fair is organised at Gannath. But the main attraction of the region is Dussherra festival. The fair organised on this occassion is very popular among the visiters as well as the native people. The images and statues made during Almora Dusserra is different from those made in other parts of nation. The uniqueness of these images attracts people and make the occassion very famous.

The Kumaonese are fond of fairs and festivals. These provide ample opportunities for social meetings, visiting places, reviving old friendships, trading in local products and displaying clothes and jewellery. The prominent fairs of Kumaon are Jauljibi, Bageshwar and Devidhura. The most famous festivals are Nanda Devi, Olkiya Sankaranti and Diwali. Jauljibi and Bageshwar were trade centres for the traders of India, Nepal and Tibet. They used to trade here in boraz, shilajeet, pashmina, chhutka, pankhi and dans. The most colorful festival of Kumaon is Nanda Ashtami, when the idols of Nanda Devi are taken out in a procession around the city and ultimately immersed in a water tank.

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Habitation

The inhabitants of the Kumaon hills are commonly known as the Kumaonese. They belong to a predominantly patriarchal society, which recognizes the superiority of men over women. The social structure is based on the extended family system, the eldest male member being the head of the family. Women are respected in society but they usually confine themselves to household activities.

The older women in villages wear cotton churidars (tight cotton trousers) and long coats with plenty of woollens to keep themselves warm. The younger women wear a ghaghra (a skirt) with angra (a full-sleeved blouse) and lots of silver and gold jewellery. The elderly Bhotia ladies wear a skirt of thick woollen cloth stitched together with a full-sleeved blouse with a thick apron tied around the waist.

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History

Kumaon has a history that dates back to ancient times. Evidence of stone age settlements has been found, especially the rock shelter at Lakhu Udyar. The paintings date back to the Mesolithic-Chalcolithic period.

In the early medieval period, Kumaon was ruled by the Katyuri dynasty. They ruled from the 7th to the 11th century and at the peak of their rule they controlled large parts of Kumaon, Garhwal and western Nepal. Even the Chinese traveler Huien Tsang mentioned the Katyuri kingdom in his travelogues. Bajinath near present day Almora was the capital of the Katyuri kings and a center of art. Temple building flourished during this period and the Katyuris introduced hewn stones as a replacement for bricks.

Opposite Almora, on a hilltop facing east, is the temple of Katarmal, a 900-year-old sun temple. This was built during the years when the Katyuri dynasty was declining. The carved doors and panels feature intricate carvings. They are currently kept in the National Museum in New Delhi as a protective measure after the 10th century idol of the presiding deity was stolen.

After a period of about two centuries, the Chands of Pithoragarh became the dominant dynasty in the region. At Jageshwar lies a magnificent temple complex with a cluster of 164 temples. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This was built by the Chand rulers over a period of two centuries.

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People

Society
Fair and festive
Habitation
History

Culture
Fair and festive
Habitation
History

Culture
Society
Habitation
History

Culture
Society
Fair and festive
History

Culture
Society
Fair and festive
Habitation