Cultural Documentation of River Ganga from Gaumukh to Gangasagar – Patna 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.

Patna District

The river Ganga is not just a geographical entity here but inhabits many legends of its own and its deep connection with the region’s history and culture is palpable. The illustrated report outlines this history of Patna district and its arcane links with the river Ganga, as witnessed in the settlement,over the centuries, of several great empires along its banks. It establishes that even when Patliputra was in ruins, Magadha was the peaceful home of Buddhism, full of great shrines and splendid monasteries, chief among which was Nalanda.

Patna represents a cultural space of much linguistic diversity, and in contemporary times, a few languages like Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, and Angika have been established as the vernacular majors of the region. The report looks at this linguistic plurality and complexity; it also documents boatmen communities like the Mallah and the Navik. Ritualistic fairs such as Chhath Puja, the famous Sonepur Cattle fair and other important festivals which take place through the year, and the various Shakti peeths have also been listed.

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