Jagar Lok Sanskriti Utsav | 04 Sep 2024

Why in News?

Recently, government celebrated the state's rich folk culture at the Jagar Lok Sanskriti Utsav, and released the book Uttarakhand ka Lok Putra Pritam Bharatwan by Sachidanand Semwal and praised Pritam Bharatwan as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand's folk culture.

Key Points

• Jagar Lok Sanskriti Utsav: It is a festival celebrating the folk culture and traditions of Uttarakhand.
• Jagar: It is a Hindu form of Shamanism which is practiced in the hills of Uttarakhand, both in Garhwal and Kumaon.
  • Shamanism is a global spiritual practice where a shaman enters altered states of consciousness to interact with the spirit world, heal, communicate with spirits, and guide souls.
  • As a ritual, Jagar is a way in which gods and local deities are woken from their dormant stage and asked for favors or remedies.
• Pritam Bharatwan: He is known for promoting the traditional culture and folk arts of Uttarakhand.
• Restoration and Recognition Efforts by Government:
  • Efforts are underway to restore traditional fairs to their original form and provide better platforms for artists.
  • Initiatives are being taken to gain recognition for the Jagar singing style.
  • Preservation and publication of scripts related to folk art and culture are being promoted through the Guru-Shishya tradition and art galleries.