Fw: Unesco-Intangible Heritage of Humanity: Vedas

[Guest guest]

This is fwrd. link from ther roup

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.unesco. org/culture/ ich/index. php?RL=00062

 

UNESCO.org>Culture> Intangible Heritage>Intangible Heritage of

Humanity: The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

 

Inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible

Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2003)

 

Country(ies) : India

Description

 

The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

CIndira Ghandi National Centre for the Arts

 

The Vedas comprise a vast corpus of Sanskrit poetry,

philosophical dialogue, myth, and ritual incantations developed

and composed by Aryans over 3,500 years ago. Regarded by Hindus

as the primary source of knowledge and the sacred foundation of

their religion, the Vedas embody one of the world's oldest

surviving cultural traditions.

 

The Vedic heritage embraces a multitude of texts and

interpretations collected in four Vedas, commonly referred to as

" books of knowledge " even though they have been transmitted

orally. The Rig Veda is an anthology of sacred hymns; the Sama

Veda features musical arrangements of hymns from the Rig Veda

and other sources; the Yajur Veda abounds in prayers and

sacrificial formulae used by priests; and the Atharna Veda

includes incantations and spells. The Vedas also offer insight

into the history of Hinduism and the early development of

several artistic, scientific and philosophical concepts, such as

the concept of zero.

 

Expressed in the Vedic language, which is derived from classical

Sanskrit, the verses of the Vedas were traditionally chanted

during sacred rituals and recited daily in Vedic communities.

The value of this tradition lies not only in the rich content of

its oral literature but also in the ingenious techniques

employed by the Brahmin priests in preserving the texts intact

over thousands of years. To ensure that the sound of each word

remains unaltered, practitioners are taught from childhood

complex recitation techniques that are based on tonal accents, a

unique manner of pronouncing each letter and specific speech

combinations.

 

Although the Vedas continue to play an important role in

contemporary Indian life, only thirteen of the over one thousand

Vedic recitation branches have survived. Moreover, four noted

schools - in Maharashtra (central India), Kerala and Karnataka

(southern India) and Orissa (eastern India) - are considered

under imminent threat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

________________

Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr!

 

http://www.flickr.com/gift/