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संस्कृति मंत्रालय / MINISTRY OF CULTURE

इन्दिरा गांधी राष्ट्रीय कला केन्द्र / Ranchi

Ramman Vignettes: A Sacred Trip to Saloor–Dungra Hamlet, Garhwal

From the Masks Collection of IGNCA

Ramman, the remarkable religious festival of the twin villages of Saloor–Dungra in Garhwal, Uttarakhand, stands as one of India’s most profound expressions of ritual theatre. Celebrated annually to honour Bhūmiyāl Devatā, it coincides with Baisākhī. Over ten days, episodes from the Rāmāyaṇa are sung and masked dances are performed.

The festival captures historical and ecological wisdom through dances like Māl Nṛtya and the Kurjogī episode. On IGNCA's recommendation, Ramman was recognized by UNESCO in 2009. This curation displays fifteen selected masks from the IGNCA Archives.

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THE INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE ARTS

Established in 1987 in memory of Indira Gandhi, IGNCA is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture. It focuses on the preservation and promotion of Indian cultural heritage. The centre has five core divisions: Kala Kosa, Kala Nidhi, Janapada Sampada, Kaladarshana and Sutradhara.

The Cultural Archives under Kala Nidhi includes multidisciplinary treasures and personal collections of scholars like Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Sunil Janah, and Raja Deen Dayal. It also houses nearly 2,000 video tapes and 1,500 audio spools documenting India's dynamic cultural heritage.

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