Documentation of intangible cultural heritage practices of the gonds of Telangana: A case study of Nagoba Jatara festival of the Raj Gonds

Abstract

Gonds are one of the largest and the earliest indigenous communities of India. The four Gond Kingdom – Graha Mandala, Deogarh, Kherla and Chanda formed the region known as "Gondwana". The Raj Gonds of Adilabad are the successors of the Chanda rulers. Their legacy of cultural heritage is carried out from Generation to Generation. All the tangible and intangible cultural heritage is on the verge of extinction due to the rapid urbanization, heavy influence and adaptation of popular culture and migration from native places to the cities. Intangible cultural heritage can be preserved in the form of documentation. The promotion of cultural practices can save the heritage by keeping the practices alive. Nagoba Jatara is one of the significant festivals still carried out and celebrated in traditional manners by the Raj Gonds. Documentation of such festivals and associated intangible cultural practices is a significant attempt to safeguard and preserve living practices of the Gondi Culture.  The paper presents the case study of the Keslapur Nagoba Jatara. The methods used for data collection are field visits, ethnographic interviews, focused group interviews, participant observation and audio-visual documentation of the festival. This paper attempts to understand, analyze, and discuss the Gonds' indigenous cultural practices performed at Nagoba Jatara Festival, belief systems associated with various cultural and ceremonial ritualistic practices and the importance of documentation to preserve the intangible cultural heritage practices.