According to the Central Himalayan pauranic traditions the geographical area extending from the Kali-Karnali in the east to the Tons in the west consists of two divisions, namely, Mānasakhaṇḍa (roughly modern Far Western Nepal, Kumaon and adjoining eastern Garhwal up to the Pindar) and Kedārakhaṇḍa (roughly remaining part of modern Garhwal up to the Tons). Inscriptional evidence coupled with the Katyūrī traditions indicates that the area under reference was ruled by the Katyūrī dynasty from about the seventh century through thirteenth century of the Common Era. The Katyūrī kingdom was liquidated by the so-called ‘Khasa’-Malla/Challa of the house of Saiṁjā (western Nepal) in the thirteenth century CE. Consequently, there arose several petty independent principalities in the geographical area under reference. Eventually, the Later Katyūrī-s, the Chandra-s and the Paṁvāra-s emerged as the dominant principalities of respectively Doti-eastern Kumaon, Kumaon, and Garhwal. Their mutual relationships with one another played significant role in the history and culture of the region under reference. In the proposed panel we will present three issues bearing on the dynamics of this interaction as follows:
Archaeology: ‘Katyūrī traditions and Nirai Pāla: a Katyūrī king of Doti-Kumaon’ by Maheshwar P. Joshi;
Ethno-musicology: ‘Epics of Central Himalayas: A Musical Appraisal’ by Dr. Franck Bernède;
Folklore: मानस तथा केदार खण्डमा प्रचलित आसिक गीत: एक अध्ययन (Mānasa tathā Kedāra Khaṇḍamā prachalita Āsika gīta: eka adhyayana) by Dr. Jayraj Pant.