The Kumaoni People of the Eastern Himalaya

In the eastern hills of Uttarakhand, amid forested ridges, high peaks, and shining mountain lakes, live the Kumaoni people, a Himalayan community whose homeland lies between the plains and the snows of Nanda Devi. Speakers of the Kumaoni language and heirs to a rich hill culture of terraced farming, folk art, and devotion, they share with their Garhwali neighbours the mountain heritage of Uttarakhand.

From the ancient temples of Jageshwar to the beloved god of justice Golu Devta, from the intricate Aipan paintings of the women to the classical songs of Kumaoni Holi, the Kumaonis carry one of the most refined and distinctive hill cultures of India. This article traces their origins, language, homeland, society, religion, and traditions, and the enduring bond between this mountain people and their sacred Himalaya.