Cultural Documentation of River Ganga from Gaumukh to Ganga Sagar – Aligarh District

This Namami Gange project is being undertaken for the Jal Shakti Ministry, Government of India, under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) scheme. INTACH is assisting the Ministry in the capacity of a knowledge partner. Three divisions of INTACH namely; Natural Heritage (NH), Architectural Heritage (AH) and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) divisions have been engaged in the cultural mapping project, of three aspects natural, tangible and intangible assets along Ganga.
The objective of the project is to conduct field investigation and document existing cultural assets on either side of the river Ganga (within a radius of 5Kms, starting from its source, i.e. Gangotri, down to its point of dispersal at Ganga Sagar) and to produce for the ministry a detailed, illustrated report based on the primary and secondary resources available.

Aligarh District

The report talks elaborately about the history of the region, the legends associated with the origin of the district related to the mythological figures. It speaks vividly about the historical trajectories, the political changes and the changing power dynamics of several dynasties and the empires that were established by them that has left an imprint on the culture and heritage of Aligarh.

Aligarh has a huge plethora of local art and craft traditions that engages the local people especially the women folk in the villages like the Appliqué work, brass statues, Plaster of Paris idols and decorative idols.  This report also sheds light on the major industry of Aligarh, the lock making industry that employs the largest workforce in this place and plays a crucial role in the economy of the district. This report also highlights other important facets like the important personalities and institutions and their continuing legacies like the house of the Mehdis and their speciality at sherwani making and the famous Aligarh Muslim University that is intrinsically linked with the identity of the place and how it was developed based on the ideals envisioned by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and how over the years it has changed with the changing times. Along with this report gives a glimpse of all the places of religious and historical importance and the celebrations and festivities observed by the inhabitants of  the district.

Check out more on the INTACH ICH Archive:
https://icharchive.intach.org/Detail/collections/81