ISSN No. 0976-8602 VOL.-III, ISSUE-II, APRIL-2014 Asian Resonance The Perception of the Girls towards the Culture of Almora: A Study AbstractAbstract Almora district is gifted with quite exatraordinary natural loveliness and affluent Cultural heritage. This delightful place was the prosperous capital by the Chand Dynusty. The region was previously under the sovereignty of the Katyuri King. It is notable that in 1560 the capital of Chand Dynusty was switched to Almora by Kalyanchand. Almora is a primary center for trade and other activities- social, cultural, political and is a district place of Uttarakhand State in India. The region of Kumaun hills is rich in folklore and the folktoles Ajua-Bafaul, Narsingh and Ghana and the mythical toles of Haru-sem Golu, Kalsem are Anchari are Prominent. Many of these in the form of lallads are sung in diverse melodies and Nyoli, Bhagnaula, chapel and jhorro belong to this group. This folk song of this region make a poetic description of the glory of the Himaliyan Region. The Study has revealed that there are various cultural activities witch take place regularly in the society and the same is being preserved the people of Almora.But it seems that the post modern generation has been including themselves in the stream of modernity and science and Technology. Keywords: Girls perception,culture,tradition Introduction History of Almora can be traced back to ancient times of Mahabharata. However, the earliest historical account of the place is provided by a Chinese pilgrim of seventh century. The pilgrim wrote in great detail about a kingdom called „Brahmaputra‟. A kingdom was first established in this area by the Katyuri dynasty. The Katyuri dynasty reigned from Dwarahat in katurya Valley. During those times, there was a small settlement in this are not much of any political significance. King Baichaldeo of the Katyuri dynasty, who reined in the region where present H.R.Kaushal day Almora is located, donated major part of this land to a Gujarati Brahmin Asstt.Professor by name Sri Chand Tiwari. Dept. of Commerce & Almora district is gifted with quite extraordinary natural loveliness Mgt.Studies and affluent cultural heritage. This delightful place was the prosperous Kumaun University capital of the Chand Dynasty. The region was previously under the sovereignty of the Katyuri king Baichaldeo who bestowed this place to a S.S.J.Campus Gujarati Brahmin Sri Chand Tiwari. It is notable that in 1560 the capital of Almora, U.K. Chand Dynasty was switched to Almora by Kalyan Chand. The beautiful town is set on a 6 kms long horse saddle shaped ridge. It affords breathtaking views of the snowy summits of Himalayas. In 1744 during the raid by Ali Muhammad Khan Rohilla, Almora was taken over from Chand dynasty. However, unable to bear the hardships of living in the hills, the Rohillas chiefs, placed by Ali Mohammad Khan Rohilla, returned Almora for a heavy bribe of three lakh rupees. Ali Mohammad, dissatisfied with the conduct of his commanders, attacked Almora again in 1745. However, this time the Rohillas were defeated. They never came back again. In 1790, Almora was conquered by the Gurkhas who ruled it for the next 24 years until it was taken over by the British in 1815. Today, Almora is a primary center for trade and other activities – social, cultural, political- and is a district place of Uttarakhand State in India. Unlike Shimla, Ranikhet, Nainital and Mussoorie, Almora has no such history of being developed by the British as hill stations. The region of Kumaun hills is rich in folk lore and the folk tales of Ajua-Bafaul, Narsingh and Ghana, Purukh Pant and the tales of Chivalry of Gangnath, and the mythical tales of Haru-Sem, Golu,Bin-bhat, Ganwara, Kalsem, Churmal Airi, Pari and Anchari are prominent. Many of these tales in the form of lallads are sung in diverse melodies and Nyoli, Bhagnaula, Chapeli, Jhorra, Chanchari, Barrey, Shakun Geet and Banara belong to this group.The folk songs of this region make a poetic description of the 93 ISSN No. 0976-8602 VOL.-III, ISSUE-II, APRIL-2014 Asian Resonance glory of the Himalayan Region, the inherent charm of Aims and Objectives: Nandadevi, Panchhchuli, Trishul and Chiplakot and To study the cultural activities of Almora. the beauty of various aspects of nature including the To understand the difference between culture and luxuriant vegetation and the dense forest of Deodar, tradition. Banj (Oak) and Shiling Kafal, Burans To study the historical heritage of Almora. (Rhododendrone) etc. The folk songs also frequently To study the interest of the postmodern girls who allude to the fields, forests, rivers, streams, rivulets, are studying in professional fauna and the snow clad peaks. courses. Almora besides being a hill station has also To study the perception of the same girls towards been a place frequented by famous personalities. the culture and their Rabindranath Tagore spent some time here and wrote knowledge about the same. some of his sweet verses; Swami Vivekananda on his Research Methodology: Himalayan sojourn stopped here and gave some It is an analytical research and based on the famous discourses. Almora is the birthplace of analysis of the questionnaire which is prepared to freedom fighter and Bharat Ratna Govind Ballabh point out the perception of the girls towards the Pant. Even Jawaharlal Nehru was in Almora Jail for culture of Almora. The questionnaire was prepared some time. Almora is also the birthplace of Nobel containing twenty five questions based on the cultural Laureate Sir Ronald Ross, the famous scientist, who activities of Almora and given to the target group as a pioneered the vaccine against Malaria. A very popular part of field work. The sequential method of sampling American actress, Uma Thurman spent some part of was used in which the particular group of girls had her childhood at Crank‟s Ridge. Prasoon Joshi, been taken as the target group. It means the Mohan Upreti and a few popular artists have their qualitative and quantitative method of research has roots in Almora. been implemented certain texts containing the cultural Almora is the second largest town of details, journals, magazines, newspapers, have been Kumaon and is a transit point en-route to popular used as a Primary Data and Secondary Data for the tourist destinations Jageshwar, Binsar, Kaushani and same. Sitlakhet. It is also home to many famous temples Difference Between Tradition and Culture: including Binar Mahadev, Kasar Devi, Nanda Devi It is quite important understand the Temple and Banari Devi. The town because of what difference between the terms called tradition and all it has in store for the tourists is a bustling vacation culture. Some people may think that these two terms spot all around the year. This makes it more are one and the same and there is no difference populated with the tourists than the actual populace of between them. It can be defined that „Tradition‟ is the the town. Almora is also an important agricultural passing of beliefs or behaviors from one generation to base and hence serves as a trade centre in more than the next generation, whereas „Culture‟ reflects the one way. The people here are used to the crowd that characteristics that describe a society at a particular the town is full of and is quite helpful. The people here time; and the culture is mostly associated with the art are very religiously oriented and believe in the old forms. style of living which was much simpler and honest. Wikipedia defines tradition as “Tradition is a But the basic intention behind conducting the belief or behavior passed down within a group or said research is to point out the postmodern girl society with symbolic meaning or special significance students‟ awareness and affinity towards their own with origins in the past”. The word "tradition" has been culture. In fact, it has been found that the postmodern derived from the Latin word „tradere‟ or „traderer‟, generation has been indulging themselves in the meaning to transmit or to hand-over. As in tradition we stream of modernity and science and technology but are talking about passing of belief or behavior to the unfortunately they are moving away from their own next generation; it is clear from this statement that this circle which is culturally, traditionally and is to retain these beliefs and behaviors in some or the conventionally quite rich and prosperous. Therefore, other form. It reminds of the past as the tradition is deliberately we have selected our target group as the related to the things in past and thus the current girls who are studying in professional courses. In generation gets the chance to re-connect with the order to find out certain significant conclusions there beliefs of the past. Traditions do not remain same are certain statements of investigations which have forever, they may change or the better term to use in been prepared by the group. Those statements are: this context is that they evolve. 1. Statements of Investigations: Wikipedia defines culture as “The arts and Does the culture of Almora have very rich and other manifestations of human influential cultural background? intellectual achievement regarded collectively”. The Do there difference between the terms called word culture has been derived from Latin word „Tradition‟ and „Culture.‟? „cultura‟, meaning cultivation. In 18th or 19th century, Does this place called Almora have any historical the word culture was used in Europe to refer a importance? process of cultivation or improvement. Later in the What are those cultural activities which take 19th century, the term evolved and started being used place regularly in Almora? for referring betterment or refinement of the society What is the perception of the girls of Almora and, then to fulfillment of national ideals or towards the culture? aspirations.