27-Aug-2022: Ministry of Culture celebrates the successful inscription of ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of ICH of Humanity in 2021 in the presence of senior representatives of UNESCO

The Ministry of Culture along Sangeet Natak Akademi, the designated nodal agency for ICH, in collaboration with the National Museum and National Museum Institute, organized the celebration of the successful inscription of ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of ICH of Humanity in 2021.‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ was inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 16th session  held in Paris, France from 13th to 18th December 2021.

On this occasion, a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on ICH was also inaugurated at National Museum.

Ms. Lily Pandeya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Mr. Tim Curtis, Secretary of UNESCO's 2003 ICH Convention, Mr. Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, Ms. Ritu Sethi, ICH expert, Ms. Shikha Jain, Prof. Manvi Seth, National Museum Institute, Mr. Arvind Kumar, Director/ UNESCO, Ministry of Culture, Mr. Suman Kumar of Sangeet Natak Akademi, and officers from Ministry of External Affairs graced the occasion with their presence.

On the occasion, Secretary, Convention for Safeguarding the Intangible Culture Heritage, UNESCO, Mr. Tim Curtis spoke about the developments in UNESCO’s 2003 ICH Convention. He stated that UNESCO will now accept ICH dossiers in the language of the practitioners, along with  English or French version for the evaluation. He added that non formal education is something the UNESCO convention has been working on for four years. He also said that since safeguarding living heritage involves transmitting the knowledge to the next generation, education becomes central to this process.

Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka,  Eric Falt said, “I think, it is very important to bring together all of the stakeholders and different groups who are involved in such nominations, and,  this workshop in particular, is a wonderful example of the way things should be done”. He added “I'm grateful  to all of the other partners who have worked with us in the past few years to raise the importance and visibility of intangible cultural heritage”. He also mentioned that, UNESCO is organizing an ICH workshop at the regional level in Udaipur, bringing a number of representatives from various countries of the region.

On the occasion Joint Secretary Ministry of Culture Ms. Lily Pandeya, said, “ India is a member of almost all of the UNESCO Cultural Conventions and Programs. With 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 14 intangible cultural heritage elements inscribed on the Representative List – the latest being Durga Puja of Kolkata, 9 documentary heritage elements recognized in the International Memory of the World Register, and 6 Creative Cities, India continues to strengthen the intercultural dialogue among nations.” She also added , “The 2-day Capacity Building National Workshop reflects  our commitment to further the 4 aims of UNESCO ICH convention”

To celebrate the spirit of Durga puja, a mesmerizing dance ballet- Devi Rising was presented by the renowned Odissi dancer and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Smt. Sharmila Biswas and her troupe from Kolkata. It enthralled the audience and the guests with the depiction of Devi Durga or the feminine shakti through aesthetically conceptualized choreography, music, costumes, and theme.

Performance by Smt. Sharmila Biswas was followed by the screening of a short documentary film titled “Diverse expressions of Intangible India.”

Ms. Ritu Sethi, an ICH expert, spoke about India’s association, role, and contribution towards the safeguarding and preservation of ICH. Prof. Manvi Seth, Chair of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Working Group (CIDOC) shared her thoughts on the many challenges of ICH and its future prospect. India considers ICH not only in terms of cultural manifestation but also in the wealth of knowledge, know-how, and skills that are transmitted from one generation to the next.

The 2-day capacity-building workshop envisioned by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India aims to launch a special series of workshops throughout India, to identify modalities of collaboration between the professionals and community stakeholders, to bring forth methodologies and principles in formulating community-based inventory, and to discuss safeguarding practices, the responsibility of the government and the community in the promotion, preservation, and safeguarding of the ICH elements. The workshop on 28th August includes a presentation and theoretical session by Dr. B. Venugopal, Convenor, India Heritage and Museum field school, Kochi along with a session on traditional craftsmanship.

The venue also exhibited some ICH-related stalls showcasing traditional craftsmanship from West Bengal like Pattachitra, and Kantha along with Puruliya Chhau masks and Nayagram wooden toys from other regions. This was accompanied by a display and presentation of Dhak and Dhunuchi Nritya to give a glimpse and context of the traditional way of celebration.

The event concluded with some insightful words by Tim Curtis on the successful inscription of ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ into the ICH list of Humanity as well as on the global perspective of ICH and its significance. He was felicitated with a ‘dokra’ idol of goddess Durga.

Recently, on 7th July 2022, India was elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-2026 cycle. The elections for the Intergovernmental Committee were held during the 9th General Assembly of the 2003 Convention held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris, from 5th to 7th July 2022.Against the four seats falling vacant within the Asia-Pacific group, eight countries, namely, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Iran, had presented their candidature. India won the elections by a comfortable majority of 110 votes out of the 155 State Parties present and voting. With India getting elected to this body it aims to strengthen the scope and impact of the Convention and mobilize the capacity of different actors worldwide in order to effectively safeguard intangible heritage across the globe. For its current term, India has formulated a clear vision for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Some of the priority areas that India will focus upon include fostering community participation, strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic research on intangible cultural heritage, and aligning the work of the Convention with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ was inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 16th session  held in Paris, France from 13th to 18th December 2021. The Committee commended the inclusive nature of Durga Puja celebrations and for related initiatives involving marginalized groups, as well as women in their participation in safeguarding the element. It not only is a celebration of feminine divinity but is a consummate expression of dance, music, crafts, rituals, practices culinary and cultural aspects. The festival transcends the boundaries of caste, creed, and economic classes and joins the people together in its celebration. India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity.

7-Jul-2022: India gets elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

India has been elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-2026 cycle. The elections for the Intergovernmental Committee took place during the 9th General Assembly of the 2003 Convention held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris, from 5th to 7th July 2022.

The announcement to this effect was made by Union Minister for Culture , Tourism and DoNER Shri G.K  Reddy.

Against the four seats falling vacant within the Asia-Pacific group, six countries, namely, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand had presented their candidature. India received 110 votes from the 155 State Parties that were present and voting.

The Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention consists of 24 members and is elected in the General Assembly of the Convention according to the principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation. States Members to the Committee are elected for a term of four years.

Some of the core functions of the Intergovernmental Committee include promoting the objectives of the Convention, providing guidance on best practices, and making recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. The Committee also examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programmes and projects.

In the past, India has served two terms as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of this Convention. One from 2006 to 2010 and the other from 2014 to 2018. For its 2022-2026 term, India has formulated a clear vision for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Some of the priority areas that India will focus upon include fostering community participation, strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic research on intangible cultural heritage, and aligning the work of the Convention with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This vision was also shared with the other State Parties of the Convention prior to the elections.

India ratified the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in September 2005. As one of the earliest State Parties to ratify the Convention, India has shown great commitment towards matters related to intangible heritage and has actively encouraged other State Parties to ratify it. With 14 inscriptions on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, India also ranks high in the listing of intangible cultural heritage. After the inscription of Durga Puja in 2021, India submitted the nomination for Garba of Gujarat to be discussed in 2023.

As a member of the intergovernmental committee, India will have the opportunity to closely monitor the implementation of the 2003 Convention. With the aim of strengthening the scope and impact of the Convention, India seeks to mobilize the capacity of different actors worldwide in order to effectively safeguard intangible heritage. Also noting the imbalance in the inscriptions on the three lists of the Convention, i.e., Urgent Safeguarding List, Representative List and Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, India shall endeavour to encourage international dialogue within the State Parties to the Convention in order to better showcase the diversity and importance of living heritage.

15-Dec-2021: UNESCO inscribes ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

In an important announcement, the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has inscribed ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 16th session being held at Paris, France from 13th to 18th December 2021. The Committee commended Durga Puja for its initiatives to involve marginalized groups, and individuals as well as women in their participation in safeguarding the element.

The Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DONER, in a tweet said that this is a recognition of the confluence of our rich heritage, culture, rituals and practices and a celebration of the feminine divinity and the spirit of womanhood.

Durga Puja not only is a celebration of the feminine divinity but is a consummate expression of dance, music, crafts, rituals, practices culinary and cultural aspects. The festival transcends the boundaries of caste, creed and economic classes and joins the people together in its celebration.

With the inscription of Durga Puja in Kolkata, India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity. In recent years, the  ICH elements that saw inscriptions are Kumbh Mela (inscribed 2017), Yoga (inscribed 2016) among others. India is a signatory of the 2003 UNESCO Convention which aims for the Safeguarding of the Intangible of the Intangible Heritage along with traditions and living expression.  Intangible cultural heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated with them that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as a part of their cultural heritage. Furthermore, its importance is not in the cultural manifestation itself, but in the wealth of knowledge, know-how and skills that are transmitted from one generation to the next.

13-Dec-2019: Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage inscribed into UNESCO’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ list

UNESCO has recognised the “Nuad” Thai massage as part of its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at its meeting held in Bogota, Columbia.

Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage is regarded as part of the art, science and culture of traditional Thai healthcare. As a non-medicinal remedy and manual therapy, it involves bodily manipulation in which the practitioner helps rebalance the patient’s body, energy and structure to treat illnesses believed to be caused by the obstruction of energy flow along ‘sen’, lines understood to crisscross the human body. This manipulation is intended to normalize the four body elements: earth, water, wind and fire. To open up blocked routes, Nuad Thai therapists perform a combination of manipulations using their hands, elbows, knees and feet, together with herbal hot compresses to reduce inflammation. Presently, Nuad Thai is classified into two main types: Nuad Thai therapy and Nuad Thai for health promotion. Nuad Thai has its roots in self-care in Thai peasant society of the past; every village had massage healers whom villagers would turn to when they had muscle aches from working in the field. Over time, these experiences have evolved into a formal system of knowledge, and Nuad Thai is now an income-generating occupation. In 1985, the Project for the Revitalization of Thai Massage was launched to revitalize and maximize knowledge of Nuad Thai, and an initiative has also been taken to form an alliance of Nuad Thai practitioners who come together annually.

Till date, this list includes 13 intangible cultural heritage items from India, the most recent addition was made in 2017 when Kumbh Mela was added to the list. The first three entries(Vedic chanting, Ramlila and Sanskrit theatre Kutiyattam) were made in 2008.

For inclusion of an element in this list, State Parties (states that are bound by the 2003 UNESCO Convention) have to submit a nomination dossier so that it can be examined and evaluated by the Committee.

UNESCO maintains three lists under its “Intangible Cultural Heritage” banner: the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity and the register of good safeguarding practices. The UNESCO Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations that are proposed by the States themselves. In UNESCO’s words, the intangible cultural heritage of humanity list is maintained, “In order to ensure better visibility of the intangible cultural heritage and awareness of its significance, and to encourage dialogue which respects cultural diversity, the Committee, upon the proposal of the States Parties concerned, shall establish, keep up to date and publish a Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Some of the criteria for inclusion in the representative list are if the inscription of the element will ensure visibility and awareness of it and if the element has been nominated after having “the widest possible participation” of the community, group or individuals concerned and with their free, prior and informed consent.

29-Nov-2018: Reggae Added to UNESCO’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ List

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has added reggae to its list of cultural institutions worthy of protection and preservation.

Each year, UNESCO adds to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and Jamaica submitted reggae for consideration earlier this year. The genre now joins a list of over 300 cultural traditions, including numerous musical ones such as Dominican merengue, Slovakian bagpipe music and Vietnamese xoan singing.

In a statement on its website, UNESCO said of reggae, “Its contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual. The basic social functions of the music – as a vehicle for social commentary, a cathartic practice, and a means of praising God – have not changed, and the music continues to act as a voice for all.”

To mark its inclusion on the list, UNESCO shared a short documentary that examines the history and distinct characteristics of reggae music.

While reggae’s inclusion on UNESCO’s Intangible list is largely symbolic, Jamaica is hoping to further protect and preserve the music in various ways. Among the plans are radio stations centered around reggae, as well as public exhibitions in museums and Reggae Month, which will take place in February, the birth month of Bob Marley.