Traditional Culture

The importance of the traditional culture and folklore as an integral part of cultural heritage and living culture has been recognised by SANKALP. Traditional forms of folklore face the extreme fragility, particularly in those aspects relating to oral traditions. The Recommendation on the Safeguarding Traditional Culture and Folklore, 1989 has been guiding SANKALP’s activities.

Folklore (or traditional and popular culture), as defined by the Recommendation, is the totality of tradition–based creations of a cultural community, expressed by a group or individuals and recognized as reflecting the expectations of a community in so far as they reflect its cultural and social identity; its standards and values are transmitted orally, by imitation or by other means. Its forms are, among others, language, literature, music, dance, games, mythology, rituals, customs, handicrafts, architecture and other arts.

SANKALP has been implementing measures for the identification, conservation, preservation, dissemination and protection of traditional culture and folklore. Such programmes include;

• Documentation of the traditional and popular culture that emphasis the enduring and the past aspects of these cultures; including their surroundings, ways of life, works, skills and techniques;
•  Integrating both informal and non-formal curricula in understanding, teaching and study of folklore in an appropriate manner; taking into account, not only village and other rural culture, but also those created in urban areas; particularly those not reflected in dominant cultures;
• Providing moral and financial support for individuals and institutions; who are the creators; inheritors, practitioners and disseminators of such culture;
• Promoting action-oriented research relevant to the preservation of traditional culture; and
• Holding of workshops, trainings, seminars, symposia, exhibitions, fairs, festivals etc for wider dissemination of folklore.

The Organisation reorganizes that the major objective, which should be considered for an effective international instrument and national practice for the safeguarding of traditional culture and folklore, include;

• To conserve human creations that may disappear forever;
• To give national and world recognition;
• To strengthen identity;
• To enable social cooperation within and between groups;
• To provide historical continuity;
• To enhance the creative diversity of humanity; and 
• To foster enjoyment.