Cultural Documentation of River Ganga from Gaumukh to Ganga Sagar – Khagaria and Katihar Districts

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.

Khagariaand Katihar Districts

This report details the histories of Katihar and Khagaria of the Purnea and Munger region of Bihar respectively, their colourful fairs and festivals, places if historical and cultural interest and famous personalities. A special focus has been given to the various styles of beautiful, grand and diverse weddings of Katihar and Khagaria with an in-depth documentation of their rites and rituals. These rituals display the various aspects of the identities of Bihar and the centrality of the river Ganga in them. Ganga emerges as a significant influence in the creation of myths, legends, and local customs.

Several common themes within the two districts have also been detailed like their cuisine, which creates a wholesome picture of the relationship between diet and culture of the region. The languages of Khagaria and Katihar like Maithili, Angika and Surjapuri provide crucial information about identity formation as well as aids in locating the history of the region through linguistic activities. The rich history is jewelled with music, poetry and creative literature.

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