Four-part series documents intangible cultural heritage practices through rider-researcher expedition.
20 Jun 2025 | 365 Views | By Shruti Shiraguppi
Royal Enfield Social Mission and UNESCO will premiere their four-episode docuseries "The Great Himalayan Exploration" on National Geographic on June 21 at 8 PM, with exclusive streaming on JioHotStar. The series documents intangible cultural heritage practices of Ladakh through a motorcycle expedition involving 40 rider-researchers selected from over 1,500 applicants.
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Royal Enfield Social Mission and UNESCO will premiere their four-episode docuseries "The Great Himalayan Exploration" on National Geographic on June 21 at 8 PM, with exclusive streaming on JioHotStar. The series documents intangible cultural heritage practices of Ladakh through a motorcycle expedition involving 40 rider-researchers selected from over 1,500 applicants.
The docuseries represents the third edition of The Great Himalayan Exploration, a multi-year partnership between UNESCO and Royal Enfield aimed at documenting 200 intangible cultural heritage practices across the Indian Himalayan region. The initiative launched in the Eastern Himalayas in 2022 and has expanded to cover the Western and North Eastern Himalayas.
Each episode explores distinct aspects of Ladakh's cultural landscape, focusing on culture, sports, crafts, and food. The series features notable participants including Gul Panag, Prateek Sadhu, Bandana Tewari, and Clifton Shipway, who engage with local communities to document their living heritage practices.
The documented practices range from ceremonial offerings of khatak and traditional Brokpa attire to indigenous games such as archery in Kargil and Zanskar, and horse polo in Drass. The series also captures nomadic Jabro dance in Changthang, traditional weaving and wool spinning, Rebo tent making near Tso Moriri, and culinary traditions including gur gur cha (butter tea), the winter dish Skyu, and the Chhurpon water-sharing irrigation system.
"The Great Himalayan Exploration is a strategic Social Mission project for us. In partnership with UNESCO, we are documenting 100 Intangible Cultural Heritage practices in the Eastern Himalayas and another 100 in the Western Himalayas. Our approach on documentation has been unique - through rider-researchers who travel and spend time with the Himalayan communities to record these practices. This valuable interaction contributes to the national inventory of ICH practices, alongside creating meaningful opportunities for travellers to experience India's rich living heritage like never before," said Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation.
"Our documentation is intended to be open source and accessible to the public at-large. We believe that awareness plays a crucial role in safeguarding this knowledge and preserving our diverse cultural identity. The four-part docuseries brings this journey, and the documentation process in Ladakh, to life through powerful visual storytelling, amplifying the voices, traditions, and landscapes of the Himalayas. For Royal Enfield Social Mission, this marks a significant step forward in our long-term goal of partnering with the Himalayan communities to build resilience."
Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, emphasized the urgency of the documentation effort. "Ladakh's fragile mountain ecosystems and increasing exposure to climate risks make it more urgent than ever to recognize and value the traditional knowledge embedded in its living heritage. These cultural practices—whether in sustainable land use, food systems, or collective rituals—offer not only a sense of identity and continuity, but also vital insights into how communities adapt and thrive in harmony with their environment. At UNESCO, we believe the goal must extend beyond safeguarding and transmission. This is about understanding heritage as a source of resilience, creativity, and social cohesion in the face of global challenges. Our partnership with Royal Enfield's 'The Great Himalayan Exploration' reflects this spirit—showing how heritage is not confined to monuments, but lives in the way we eat, speak, and gather. It is, at its core, a celebration of our shared humanity."
UNESCO defines Intangible Cultural Heritage as practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This living cultural heritage typically manifests through oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events, knowledge concerning nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship.
Royal Enfield Social Mission operates as part of the company's broader commitment to partnering with 100 Himalayan communities by 2030 toward building climate resilience. The initiative encompasses various projects including The Himalayan Knot textile conservation project, The Himalayan Hub learning center, community-run Green Pit Stops, the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League, biodiversity conservation through the Keystone Species project, and the Helmets for India road safety initiative.
The Social Mission also encourages one million riders to explore sustainably and "Leave every place better." These initiatives are implemented through Eicher Group Foundation, a section 8 company incorporated in 2015 under the Companies Act of 2013.