Kumaonese, the people of Kumaon The inhabitants of the Kumaon hills are commonly known as the Kumaonese. They belong to a predominantly patriarchal society, which recognizes the superiority of men over women. The social structure is based on the extended family system, the eldest male member being the head of the family. Women are respected in society but they usually confine themselves to household activities. No religious ceremony is considered complete without the wife joining the husband. Women also work in the fields and forests alongside the men. In Kumaon, bigamy or polygamy has religious sanctions but polyandry is prohibited. Widow marriage and re-marriage by divorced women is permitted except in certain sections of ""high caste" Brahmins and Rajputs. Child marriage is still practised in all classes of society despite legal restrictions on it. It has all but disappeared from the educated society.

The sun temple at Katarmal Credit: Karamjeet Singh

Kumaon comprises the three hill districts of Nainital, Almorah and Pithoragarh. It is bordered by Kali Nadi in the east towards Nepal and the districts of Pauri Garhwal and Chamoli to the west. Tibet lies to the north and the Terai to the south. The inhabitants of this region, besides having martial traditions, have inherited a belief in a number of gods and goddesses -- the gods Bhima, Bhairav and Nanda are worshipped with great reverence. These gods are the protectors of land, people and harvest. Crimes are few in number and disputes are normally settled by invoking the village gods through 'jagar', which keeps the defaulter shuddering under the devastating impact of public insinuation and exposure.

The Kumaonese are fond of music, folk dance and songs accompanied by local musical instruments like murli, bina, and hurka. The hurka is played by the "jurkiya" and the dancer accompanying him, known as "hurkiyari", is usually his wife or daughter. They go from place to place narrating folklores, singing the praise of their gods and goddesses. During fairs and festivals and at harvest time, the Kumaonese often dance the Jharva, Chandhur Chhapalior and many other forms of folk dances. The popular folk songs are Malushahi, Bair and Hurkiya Bol.

Sunrise at Kasauni Credit: Karamjeet Singh

Malushahi is intricately woven in the cultural folklore of Kumaon. Malu, a boy living in Dwarahat, once sees a Bhutian girl, Rajula, in his dream and is charmed by her beauty -- so much so that he leaves his home in search of her. After walking two hundred odd miles he meets the girl, who has had a similar dream. Malu approaches the girl's father Sunpati Shauka and asks for his daughter's hand, to which the father does not agree. Malu decides to fight the issue and succeeds. He returns home happy. This story forms an integral part of Kumaon folklore.

The Kumaonese people's love of music prompted the famous Udai Shankar and Anna Parilova to set up their dancing school at Almora in the region.

Kumaon has inherited rich treasures of art from Katyuri and Chand kings, who built great temples at Bajinath, Dwarahat, Jageshwar, Katarmal, and Champavat.

The Kumaonese are fond of fairs and festivals. These provide ample opportunities for social meetings, visiting places, reviving old friendships, trading in local products and displaying clothes and jewellery. The prominent fairs of Kumaon are Jauljibi, Bageshwar and Devidhura. The most famous festivals are Nanda Devi, Olkiya Sankaranti and Diwali. Jauljibi and Bageshwar were trade centres for the traders of India, Nepal and Tibet. They used to trade here in boraz, shilajeet, pashmina, chhutka, pankhi and dans. The most colorful festival of Kumaon is Nanda Ashtami, when the idols of Nanda Devi are taken out in a procession around the city and ultimately immersed in a water tank.