DOI:- https://doi.org/10.64880/shikshasamvad.v3i4.03

Author : Dr. Rimmi Datta¹ & Prof. Jayanta Mete²

Abstract

This article discusses Hijagang, the traditional boathouse of the Meitei boat tradition of Manipur, as a pedagogical resource to heritage education. The article considers Hijagang as a living educational text which can be used to facilitate inquiry, value formation, historical imagination, ecological sensitivity and interdisciplinary learning, rather than seeing Hijagang as a cultural monument or tourist site. The discussion associates Hijagang to the culture of Hiyang Hiren boats, Hiyang Tannaba, craft knowledge, symbolic representation, oral memory and community participation. It claims that local heritage can be made academically significant when teachers employ it in the form of observation, questioning, contextualization, creative expression and critical reflection. The paper is based on the framework of culture and arts education provided by UNESCO, the concept of intangible cultural heritage, the National Education Policy 2020 in India, the National Curriculum Framework of School Education 2023, art-integrated learning, object-based learning and place-based education. It implies a classroom model of the application of the heritage of Hijagang in school and teacher education without reproducing any picture. The article finds that local heritage education must result in cultural confidence, evidence-based knowledge and democratic respect. It is not when an object of heritage is merely viewed, but when learners get to learn to read it with curiosity, empathy and critical care.

Keywords: Hijagang; Heritage Education; Hiyang Hiren; Object-Based Learning; Place-Based Education; Art-Integrated Learning; Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Cite this Article: 

Dr. Rimmi Datta¹ & Prof. Jayanta Mete², “Hijagang as Heritage Pedagogy” Shiksha Samvad International Open Access Peer-Reviewed & Refereed Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, ISSN: 2584-0983 (Online), Volume 03, Issue 04, Pp.29-43, June-2026. Journal URL: https://shikshasamvad.com/