The chances of Gujarat’s famed Garba getting the coveted Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH) tag bestowed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have brightened as the efforts to get Gujarat’s nine days long traditional festivity inscribed on UNESCO’s representative list have picked up.
The government of India’s culture ministry is preparing a dossier that will be submitted to UNESCO by this month-end. Through the implementing agency of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the ministry has assigned the task to a project team of MS University, Vadodara.
Ministry officials of Delhi were in Gujarat’s Vadodara last week, discussing the process with the team at length.
On December 15, 2021, Unesco had accorded ICH status to Kolkata’s Durga puja, making it Asia’s first festival to receive recognition.
Letters of consent for the nomination of Garba of Gujarat are being collected from all stakeholders across the state. If inscribed, Garba will become Gujarat’s first intangible cultural heritage to be listed by UNESCO.
Since 2008, 14 cultural heritages from India have been listed by Unesco.
- Koodiyattam.
- Mudiyett.
- Vedic chanting.
- Ramlila.
- Ramman.
- Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan.
- Chhau dance.
- Buddhist chanting of Ladakh.
- Sankirtana.
- Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab
- Yoga.
- Kumbh Mela.
- Durga Puja.
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