The Traditional Coaxing ritual expresses the peculiar relationship between a man and animal. The ritual comes under the domain of “social practices, rituals and festive events” and in cases where there is participation in the ritual by a singer and musician, or by a few musicians, it might also come under the domain of “performing art”. While elsewhere spring is a pleasant season for peasants, it isn’t convenient for Mongolian herdsmen. The mother animals give birth to their young in a harsh and dusty spring, so there is a big risk of losing a mother or a baby animal. Mongols have a variety of rituals relating to husbandry in traditional Mongolian society. One of them is a chanting ritual for a new-born baby animal and its mother. To chant is to stimulate, through the use of special words and melody, the adopting of a baby animal to a mother. There are different gestures, melodies and chanting techniques for the five types of livestock in Mongolia. Coaxing (khuuslukh) a camel is a ritual for a mother who rejects her baby; or for adopting an orphan baby to another female who has lost her baby, because only a suckling mother will have milk in harsh spring time. For the nomadic Mongols the camel milk has been not only the source of food and drinks in the severe Gobi Desert conditions, but also the basic means of preventing illness or for healing diseases. Therefore, the coaxing rituals originated from the everyday occurrence of the herdsmen and became one of the important elements of Mongolian folk knowledge and ritual. The performance of the ritual continues for a few hours at early morning or at twilight and requires a high skill of handling camels and a singing talent or skill for playing on a musical instrument such as the horse head fiddle or flute. Most herdswomen engage in techniques and methods of coaxing, but these techniques and methods aren’t enough sometimes, for performing the ritual successfully. If there isn’t a singer or musician in the family, the owner of the camels will invite a coaxer or a few masters in coaxing and players of a musical instrument, from another place. In this case, the coaxing ritual will compose of a small performance by several actors: a singer along with a horse head fiddle, flute or mouth-orlgan players. A mother is tied close to the calf, nearby to a yurt. A singer will begin gently their monotone song ""khuus"", ""khuus"" with a horse head fiddle or without any musical instrument. A mother will bite, savage or spit and show her ignorance to a calf at the beginning of the ritual. The coaxer can change their melody, depending on the mother’s behavioural reaction. Most musicians will perform the ritual traditional Mongolian -sad stories about camels- songs such as “Unchin tsagaan botgo”, “Goviin undur” etc. The musician performs his play with different sounds of walking, running and bellowing of a camel and absorbs words into poems, songs and epochs. When a mother camel is being coaxed into accepting a rejected or an orphan calf, it is said to break into tears at the gentle sound of ""khuus"" and the enchanting melody of the horse head fiddle sung and played by someone skilled in the art of casting spells on animals. In some cases, to perform the ritual more effectively herdsmen use additional techniques such as skinning a dead calf and covering the orphan camel calf with the hide, tying a mother together with a baby quite a far distance from the ger camp for the whole night, or soaking the calf in salt, saltpetre or in the mother’s milk. Also it was common to place the ankle bone of a wild sheep (there is a myth that wild ewes never reject their babies) around the neck of a mother or a calf. But nowadays it is very hard to find these anklebones, as wild sheep are enlisted to the endangered-species list. There is also an exotic remedy in the coaxing ritual where the mother is led to a ger at twilight and shown the fire inside. (A camel can’t enter a ger, because of its size.) All participants in the ritual wear good clothes, remain attentive and focused, using their own psychic vision and imagination in the coaxing process, because the participants express their gratitude to gods of the camels, mountains and waters within the ritual. After finishing the ritual a coaxer or small group of masters will be honoured guests of the family. A person, who had performed coaxing rituals prosperously, will be invited again and again by the families in need of the ritual. When, where, how many times they have been invited - is the main criteria for evaluating the talent of a cultural bearer of this ritual. The evaluation is a prerequisite to their popularity in a society. The coaxing ritual has been transmitted from generations to generations and been enriched by the exchange of camel herding knowledge between the herders of Umnugovi, Bayankhongor, Dundgovi provinces, which are the main territories of Mongolia’s Bactrian camel population. “We should not forget this ritual while we are herding camels, because in both the animal and the human - it transcends genre to become a deeply affecting allegory about the importance of patience and acceptance in so many relationships” that is the conception of elders, the cultural bearers’ communities and camel herders. The knowledge and skills relating to the ritual’s transmission occurs from parents and elders to youth, in home tutoring: Elders with long experience of herding, herdswomen with singing talent and the talented musicians, who can influence the camel’s behaviour, are the main actors of the coaxing ritual. The ritual acts as a symbolic medium for creating and maintaining the social ties of individual nomadic families and dependencies to the community, because it is one part of the traditional intangible cultural heritage of the relationship between man and livestock.

Mongolia 2015

The ornament adorns all the objects surrounding the Kyrgyz from the moment of birth to the end of life. Nowadays, ornaments are very popular and used not only for decorating yurts and utensils but also for festive attires, jewelry, and souvenirs. Kyrgyz gave the patterns their own names identifying them with elements of their own and surroundings in the world around them. The shape of the symbols has reached us through the ages, almost unchanged. Kyrgyz ornaments include simple geometrical symbols, floral patterns, images of animals (both living and fantastic), nature, and stylized images of people. One of the most popular patterns are: ram’s horns, which repeats the image of this animal and represents prosperity or Umai ene, winged woman with a child, a spirit that represents fertility and protects mothers and babies. There are several types of Kyrgyz ornamental patterns: 1.\tPatterns symbolizing landscapes and other natural objects and processes such as Earth, a spring, eternal movement, Sun, Venus, star constellations, day and night, equinox; 2.\tPatterns symbolizing elements of animal kingdom such as raven claw, goose foot, ram horns, goat horns, a bird wing, a dog tail; 3.\tPatterns symbolizing elements of flora such as almond, clover, pomegranate, tulip; 4.\tPatterns symbolizing household objects as a comb, a lock, tip of a knife, köökör, a vessel for fermented milk; 5.\tPatterns with anthropomorphic elements.

The production of dried fruits is one of the effective ways to solve the problem of seasonality without loss. Fruits and vegetables cultivated in Uzbekistan are distinctive with their taste. In particular, the degree of sugar is very high in them, which maintains sweetness of dried fruits. For this reason Uzbekistan is famous for its dried fruits. Traditional way of drying fruits (drying in an open air) is widespread. Methods of drainage vary with the type of fruit. Sometimes, the same type of fruit is dried in different ways. For example there are such ways of raisin making (drainage of grapes) as: avlon, bedona, garmiyon, sabza, soyaki and others. In simple way of making raisin, grape is laid on the plastered square, on bordon or buyra. In this method, the grape dries duing 20–30 days. Grapes, dipped to an acid solution, dry in 7–10 days, in specially cooled rooms, it takes 4–8 weeks to dry the grape.

Saint Gióng also known as Phù Đổng Sky King in historical literature is a legendary hero of the ancient Vietnamese. Many centuries ago, Saint Gióng festival of Phù Đổng village –his homeland– was ranked as the most attractive one in the Northern Delta. It attracts tens of thousands of people from everywhere to attend thanks to its performing match like a battle that reenacts the national hero’s victory. The festival in Phù Đổng Village symbolically re-enacts the battles, in which the saint’s generals, such as Flag Master, Drum Master, Gong Master, Army Master and Children’s Master fight against the enemies generals. Gióng festival takes place from the 6th to the 12th day of the fourth lunar month, mobilizing hundreds of village male teenagers who act phù giá (assisstants) in an elite troop. On the 6th day of the fourth lunar month, those who act generals have to be launched in front of the Sky King, and then gather at Phù Đổng temple where they officially enter the time and space of the legend. A ritual of sacrifice is one of the most important practices of the festival at Sky King Temple as it is believed that sacrifice symbolizes the community’s respect dedicated to the holy Saint. It is followed by the ritual of water procession performed by the generals of the troop, which implies that sacred water taken from Mẫu Temple is used to bathe the weapon. The chess-playing ritual also known as the battle ritual is the central activity of Gióng festival of Phù Đổng temple and it is practiced in the form of a grand performance. In the Sóc Temple, where Saint Giong ascended to Heaven on his iron horse, the celebrations include a ritual of bathing Giong statue and a procession of bamboo flowers and elephant to the temple as offerings to the saint. Bamboo flowers are dispersed to villager as a good luck throughout the year.

Viet Nam 2010

Kazakh traditional Assyk games are an ancient tradition in Kazakhstan. Each player has their own set of ‘Assyks’, traditionally made out of the talus bone of a sheep, and a ‘Saka’ dyed in bright colours. Players use their Assyk to knock out other Assyks from the field, and the focus is on the position of the bone. The community concerned comprises most of the population of Kazakhstan, including members of the Federation ‘Assyk Atu’ Game as well as the larger community of practitioners, mainly children aged between four and eighteen. The element is an outdoor activity that helps develop children’s analytical thinking and physical state, fostering friendship and social inclusiveness. It is also a good model for positive collaboration, uniting people regardless of their age, ethnic background or religious affiliation. It is widely practised at festive celebrations and gatherings, and the community plays a key role in safeguarding the practice, as well as in popularizing it among other ethnic groups in Kazakhstan, turning it into a national symbol of childhood. It is transmitted from older boys to younger ones through observation, as well as through radio and TV documentaries aimed at encouraging children to play Assyk and acquainting people with their cultural heritage.

Kazakhstan 2017

Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre, which is practised in the province of Kerala, is one of India’s oldest living theatrical traditions. Originating more than 2,000 years ago, Kutiyattam represents a synthesis of Sanskrit classicism and reflects the local traditions of Kerala. In its stylized and codified theatrical language, neta abhinaya (eye expression) and hasta abhinaya (the language of gestures) are prominent. They focus on the thoughts and feelings of the main character. Actors undergo ten to fifteen years of rigorous training to become fully-fledged performers with sophisticated breathing control and subtle muscle shifts of the face and body. The actor’s art lies in elaborating a situation or episode in all its detail. Therefore, a single act may take days to perform and a complete performance may last up to 40 days. Kutiyattam is traditionally performed in theatres called Kuttampalams, which are located in Hindu temples. Access to performances was originally restricted owing to their sacred nature, but the plays have progressively opened up to larger audiences. Yet the actor’s role retains a sacred dimension, as attested by purification rituals and the placing of an oil lamp on stage during the performance symbolizing a divine presence. The male actors hand down to their trainees detailed performance manuals, which, until recent times, remained the exclusive and secret property of selected families.

India 2008

Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred Pitcher), is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims where people bathe or take a dip in a sacred river. Held at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every four years by rotation, the Kumbh at Prayag/Allahabad is the most significant. Ardha ("Half") Kumbh Mela is held at only two places, Haridwar and Allahabad, every sixth year. It is held on the banks of the rivers - Ganga in Prayag, Saraswati in Haridwar, Godavari in Nashik and Shipra in Ujjain. A great fair is held on these occasions on the banks of the rivers. Devout believe that by bathing in the Ganges one is freed from their sins liberating them from the cycle of birth and death. A unique facet is that millions of people reach the place without any invitation. Mythology says the gods and the demons fought for the pot with the nectar of immortality. Lord Vishnu, disguising himself as an enchantress (Mohini), seized the nectar. While fleeing from the evil ones, Lord Vishnu passed the nectar on to his winged mount, Garuda. In the ensuing struggle, a few drops of the precious nectar fell on Allahabad, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain. Since then, the Kumbh Mela has been held in these places. The astrological sequence of the stars are the basis for the Kumbh locations. As Jupiter enters in Aquarius and Sun enters Aries the Kumbh is held at Haridwar, Jupiter enters Aries and Sun and Moon in Capricorn at Prayag and so on.

India 2017

The tradition of calligraphy has always been associated with the act of writing in Iran, and even when the writers had limited literacy, calligraphy and writing were still intricately linked. But with the advent of printing and the emergence of computer programmes and digital fonts, this art gradually declined and the emphasis on pure readability replaced the observance of both readability and aesthetics. This resulted in a decline in the appreciation of calligraphy among the new generations. The safeguarding of the Iranian calligraphic tradition thus became a major concern in the 1980s, and a national programme was developed for this purpose by non governmental organizations in collaboration with the government. This programme aimed to expand informal and formal public training in calligraphy, publish books and pamphlets, hold art exhibitions, and develop academic curricula, while promoting appropriate use of the calligraphic tradition in line with modern living conditions. Some of the work on this programme was started by the Iranian Calligraphers Association before the 1980s, and given its immense popularity, the public sector turned it into a national programme by redefining and coordinating it on a large scale based on the experiences of the public and private sectors.

Iran 2021

Held on February 14 every year, in honor of the death anniversary of Truc Lam's three ancestors, Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Huyen Quang. Monks, nuns and Buddhists burn incense, chant sutras, and recite Buddha's name in the three treasures, the first and second ancestral houses. At the same time, we also invite bells to propagate the Buddha's teachings in the early morning and evening of the day. From the 13th day of the 2nd lunar month, tourists from all over the world have gathered to the temple. Most of the visitors to the pagoda are the elderly, young men and women, and teenagers. Interspersed in it, the village's cultural teams performed the temple ruins. The Chuc Lam Patriarchate at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda were three people: Giac Hoang Dieu Ngu Tran Nhan Tong, Zen Master Phap Loa and Zen Master Huyen Quang.

Folk tuned melodies (kuu) of different sizes are classical musical heritage of the Kyrgyz, which are performed on national musical instruments. Each of them is exceptional and unique in its own way. The main musical instrument used in solo performance of kuu is a three-stringed plucked instrument – komuz. Well-known folk tuned melodies as Kambarkan, Botoi, Kerbez, Tolgoo and Kairyk have become the basis for emergence of separate genres of kuu and have had their own impact on development of the Kyrgyz instrumental music as a whole. Performance of each kuu is distinguished by the diversity of methods of artistic expressiveness and playing technique. Kuu are divided into program and non- program musical pieces. The bases of program folk tunes are folk life, epical, and historical plots, historical geneses of which are presented before each kuu performance. Non-program kuu reflect certain life circumstances and have their own titles. They reflect deep human experiences about the meaning of life, images of the human. In general, kuu have laid the foundations for development of the Kyrgyz instrumental music. The Kyrgyz instrumental music performed by folklore groups is very popular now. No cultural event is organized without it today, whether it is a festive or a national event. Depending on the complexity of compositions, sounds of typical musical instruments of the Kyrgyz such as komuz, kyl kiyak, temir komuz, chopo-choor, dobulbas and sybyzgy are present in the instrumental music. National musical instruments of the Kyrgyz can be functionally divided into instruments bearing artistic and esthetic function, instruments bearing application purpose, and the ritual ones that combine the first two features. Along with concert and orchestral practice, some instruments of applied and ritual character continue to be used in ceremonial songs up today.

Mangal Shobhajatra is a vibrant procession brought out in Dhaka City on the first day of Bangla New Year . It is a creative innovation to give new social and cultural meanings to the celebration of Bangla New Year, a tradition going back to 1556 CE during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great. In 1989, the students and teachers of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University organized a colorful procession entitled "Mangal Shobhajatra", literally meaning well-being procession, on the first day of the Bangla New Year. Since then, Mangal Shobhajatra has become a major secular festive event in which people from all walks of life join freely and spontaneously. Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year, coincides with 14 April. Preparation for Mangal Shobhajatra begins a month earlier on 14 March in the campus of the Dhaka University. The students, under the guidance of their teachers, make several large artifacts for display in the procession. Each year at least one stupendous artifact is made to signify the dark forces of evil and iniquity. This one and the other artifacts vary from year to year. The Mangal Shobhajatra of 2013 comprised a monster and a reptile to signify the sinister forces, a dove to symbolize peace, a bull to stand for the revolutionary spirit, a clenched hand to embody vigour and courage, and a wide range of masks for the activists to carry in order to drive away the sinister forces and pave the way for progress.

Bangladesh 2016

Held from January 13 to 18 on the land of the Tran dynasty, to affirm and honor the merits of building and defending the country of the Tran dynasty - a prosperous dynasty with three illustrious feats of defeating the Nguyen - Mong invaders. The ceremony is held solemnly, majesty and respectfully such as: the opening ceremony of the temple door, the procession of sacred water from the Red River confluence to Tran temple, the grave sacrifice, the worshiping ceremony for ancestors. In particular, they also held a ceremony to celebrate the wedding (treaty) between the two villages of Van Dai (Chi Hoa commune) and Tam Duong village (Tien Duc commune) as well as a water procession and a unique fish contest to remember the old times. Tran ancestors lived mainly by fishing.