Tura, Mar 6: The Great Himalayan Exploration, a collaborative initiative of UNESCO and Royal Enfield is travelling across Garo Hills to document the intangible cultural heritage of the Garos.
Eighteen riders are currently touring different parts of Garo Hills to document the Songsarek practices, the indigenous faith of the Garos, the rituals associated with the faith, lifestyle and the rich cultural diversity of the tribe.
The tour began on March 1 and will culminate on March 14.
The group visited Songsarek villages in Sadolbra and Babadam to capture the brewing process of chu bitchi, a local rice beer. At Gondenggre village, the team captured the colour and vibrant Wangala dance, a post-harvest thanksgiving dance ritual of the Garos. At Sasatgre village, the team documented the different culinary practices of the Garos.
Speaking to Hub News, Keagan D’souza, a rider from the team said, “We are doing this trip to understand the tribe and to document the intangible cultural practices, which needs to be preserved for future generation”.
The team was overwhelmed with their visit to Garo Hills.
”Garo Hills is one of the most beautiful places in the entire Northeast. The roads and turns are perfect. And the best part is the people, they are so welcoming and humble,” D’souza said.
The Great Himalayan Exploration has been travelling across the length and breadth of the Northeastern region for the past two years and this was their first visit to Garo Hills. The team will also be making their second visit to the region soon.
Another rider Dimple Singh, said, “I am awestruck with the beauty of Garo Hills”.
The team of travel writers and journalist from Delhi accompanied the team during the exploration. The media team were in Garo Hills for two days and witnessed the exhilarating Wangala dance and the practice of loin loom at Chandigre village.
Writer Aditi Sengupta said, “We have come to witness the customs, the traditions, and the practices of the Garo tribe and learn about the community not through a touristic point of view but from a perspective where someone is getting introduced to a new geography and its people.”
Aditi says that she has learned the unique cooking art of the Garos, wherein the pork is cooked with pumpkin. “Pork and pumpkin combination is so delicious when cooked with soda (karchi). It is so flavourful”.
The documented videos and photos will be showcased in social media platforms, UNESCO websites and exhibitions in different metro cities.
This unique partnership between UNESCO and Royal Enfield also sits at the heart of Royal Enfield’s social mission in the Himalayas, which is to partner with 100 communities to build resilience and initiate a movement of riders and travellers towards the adoption of responsible travel practices.
