Following the Himalayan tale

The best people to conserve our last remaining forests and wildlife are the local communities staying closest to or in nature. Most Himalayan communities revere ‘nature and wildlife’. Such communities have a repository of folklore, myths and legends built around this intrinsic relationship which are transmitted across generations through the art of storytelling.

However, with the advent of new age media, this traditional art form is struggling as firelight time is replaced by television and senior citizens are relegated to prayer and pondering about the past. In many countries, this traditional form of communication has become less commonplace. Through my initiative titled ‘Whispers of Yore’, I follow these whispers of the yesteryears. I explore the oral traditions of the Himalayas pertinent to environmental conservation. I aim to understand the nature-culture interfaces in the Himalayas.

This initiative is funded by the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.