Kumaon is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Nepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by Garhwal. Kumaon comprises six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.
Uttarakhand, formerly known as Uttaranchal, is a state in northern India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" due to its religious significance and numerous Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the state. Uttarakhand is known for the natural environment of the Himalayas, the Bhabar and the Terai regions. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north; the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal to the east; the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the west and north-west. The state is divided into two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with a total of 13 districts. The winter capital, and largest city of the state is Dehradun, which is also a rail head. On 5 March 2020, Bhararisain, a town in the Gairsain Tehsil of the Chamoli district, was declared as the summer capital of Uttarakhand. The High Court of the state is located in Nainital, but is to be moved to Haldwani in future.
Kumaoni is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over two million people of the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand in northern India and parts of Doti region in Western Nepal. As per 1961 survey there were 1,030,254 Kumaoni speakers in India. The number of speakers increased to 2.2 million in 2011.
Garhwali is an Indo-Aryan language of the Central Pahari subgroup. It is primarily spoken by over 2.5 million Garhwali people in the Garhwal region of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas.
Meena Rana is an Indian Uttarakhandi singer. She has released many Garhwali and Kumaoni music albums.
Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music.
Narendra Singh Negi, also referred as 'Garh Ratan' and 'Bob Dylan of the hills' is one of the most prominent folk singers, composer and a poet of the Garhwal and Uttarakhand who prominently sings in Garhwali language. Reportedly, he has sung more than 1000 songs. His unparalleled work in the field of folk music of Uttarakhand is an inspiration for all the upcoming singers of Uttarakhand.
The Garhwali people are an Indian ethnolinguistic group native to the Garhwal, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, who speak Garhwali, an Indo-Aryan language.
Kumaonis, also known as Kumaiye and Kumain, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group who speak Kumaoni as their first-language and live mostly in Kumaon division in the state of Uttarakhand in India and parts of the Sudurpashchim Province in far western Nepal.
Bedu Pako Baro Masa is a Kumaoni folk song in Kumaoni language which was composed by Mohan Upreti, B. M. Shah and written by Brijendra Lal Shah. This Kumaoni song was composed, written and first performed in the early 1950s and since has become popular all over Uttarakhand as even before it had been sung as a traditional folk song among the villagers in Kumaon. This song is the official regiment song of the Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army.
Jagar is a Hindu shamanic form of Shamanism which is practiced in the hills of Uttarakhand, both in Garhwal and Kumaon. 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. The ritual is connected to the idea of divine justice and is practiced to seek penance for a crime or to seek justice from the gods for some injustice. The word Jagar comes from the Sanskrit root, Jaga, meaning "to wake".
The mashak is a type of bagpipe found in Northern India, Uttarakhand, Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal and parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The pipe was associated with weddings and festive occasions. In India it is historically found in Kumaon and Garhwal in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This bagpipe uses single reeds, and can be played either as a drone or as a melody instrument.
Jeet Singh Negi was a music composer, singer, lyricist, writer and director from the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. He is considered to be the father of modern Garhwali folk music.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Uttarakhand:
Naima Khan Upreti was an Indian theatre actor, singer and a producer at Doordarshan. She was also the wife of Mohan Upreti, considered to be one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music.
Chander Singh Rahi was a prominent folk singer, balladeer, musician, poet, storyteller, and cultural conservator from Uttarakhand, India.
Uttarakhand Devabhumi Matribhumi is the official state song of the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand Day also referred to as Uttarakhand Divas, is celebrated as the state foundation day of Indian state Uttarakhand. It is observed annually on 9 November.
