But form and design are conditional and governed by the worldview, myth and ritual function which each article plays at given moment. Equally important and more fundamental is the transmission of skills of these crafts from one generation to the next. It ranges from inculcation of skills, identification of raw material to actual making of an object. In 'circumscribed time', for that specific duration, all spatial and level hierarchies are broken and equalisation or even reversal of roles takes place. Artistic manifestation is intrinsic to the lifestyle and punctuation of rhythm through rituals and festivals in common.
Space is consecrated or enlarged.
Finally, the lifecycle from birth to death and rebirth provides another framework of time where physical and metaphysical, sacred and secular coalesce and interpenetrate. With this approach the Loka parampara involves research into various aspects of cultural communities. Pilot studies have been initiated on the Santhals of West Bengal and Orissa, Bhuiyans and Paiks of Orissa, Meiteis of Manipur, Angamis of Nagaland, Gujars of Central Himalaya, Changpas of Ladakh, Gaddis of Himachal Pradesh, Bajara-growing communities of Rajasthan, Visvakarmas and the forest dwellers of Karnataka and Mukkuvars of Tamil Nadu. Pilot studies have been initiated in different parts of India, some conducted by the in-house scholars, others by researchers associated with Indian and foreign universities and institutions. Of the 67 studies so far completed only a few have shown light.