UNESCO and Royal Enfield joined hands in 2022 to discover, document and promote the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India — a journey that began in the Himalayas with “The Great Himalayan Exploration”.
According to UNESCO, the ICH of a country can be defined as “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals, recognise as part of their cultural heritage.” With this project, we invite you to ride along and experience the culturally charged atmosphere of pristine lands as we navigate our way around their wealth of ICH practices. The collaborative effort aims to be a platform for the Himalayan communities to tell their own stories and create an alternative repository for their living and intangible legacies — some of which may soon be lost in the face of modernity.
A new chapter of The Great Himalayan Exploration begins as Edition 4 sets off for Himachal Pradesh. Led by Royal Enfield Social Mission in partnership with UNESCO, this one-of-a-kind motorcycle expedition continues its work of documenting and safeguarding the living heritage of the Himalayas—one ride at a time.
Over four journeys, rider-researchers will explore 12 Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) practices. Each ride explores a different facet of life in the mountains—dancing the Nati, cooking Himachali Dham, building with Kathkuni architecture, and celebrating Kullu Dusshera—revealing its memory, movement, craft, and belief.
Get to know what the journey is like by streaming Edition 3 of the Great Himalayan Exploration across Ladakh on JioCinema and National Geographic TV.
We invite you to be a part of this journey, engage with the Himalayan communities, and document their Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) practices for UNESCO and Royal Enfield. Post your details with us and we will be in touch to share our screening process. Participate today and get a chance to work from the mountains, for the mountains.