Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage: India’s Entries and Criteria

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003 to protect non-physical cultural traditions across the globe. Unlike physical monuments or natural landscapes, intangible cultural heritage encompasses oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, traditional craftsmanship, and knowledge systems concerning nature. India ratified the convention in 2005 and maintains a rich inventory of living traditions that showcase its civilisational diversity and social cohesion.

UNESCO Convention and Operational Framework

Objective and Definition

• Cultural Scope: Defines intangible cultural heritage as practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage.
• Transgenerational Transmission: Requires traditions to be passed down through generations and constantly recreated by communities in response to their environment and history.
• Inclusivity Principle: Emphasizes that heritage elements must foster mutual respect among communities, human creativity, and sustainable development.

Governing Bodies

• General Assembly of State Parties: Serves as the sovereign body of the 2003 Convention, meeting biennially to provide strategic direction.
• Intergovernmental Committee: Comprises 24 elected member state representatives responsible for evaluating nominations, managing international assistance, and listing elements.

Criteria for Inscription on the Representative List

To qualify for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a nominated element must satisfy five strict criteria outlined in the Operational Directives of the 2003 Convention:

Three Lists Under the 2003 Convention

• Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Recognizes living traditions to ensure better visibility and awareness of cultural diversity.
• List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection: Identifies elements whose viability is at risk despite efforts by communities, enabling international financial and technical support.
• Register of Good Safeguarding Practices: Features national programs, projects, and activities that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention.

Inscribed Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements from India

India has 16 elements inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

Nodal Agencies and National Preservation Initiatives

Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA)

• Functions as the nodal agency under the Ministry of Culture for executing activities related to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• Prepares nomination dossiers and maintains the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Ministry of Culture classifies national cultural practices across five broad domains:

• Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage.
• Performing arts (music, dance, and theatre).
• Social practices, rituals, and festive events.
• Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe.
• Traditional craftsmanship.

Government Schemes for Safeguarding

• Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India: Provides financial assistance to institutions and individuals engaged in preserving endangered art forms.
• Guru-Shishya Parampara Scheme: Supports non-formal, traditional knowledge transmission from master artists to apprentices through Zonal Cultural Centres.

Key Facts and Trivia for Exam Preparation

• Convention Adoption Year: UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003, and it entered into force in 2006.
• India’s First Inscriptions: Kutiyattam, Tradition of Vedic Chanting, and Ramlila were the first three elements from India inscribed in 2008.
• First Craft Inscription: The traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru in Punjab became India’s first craft element on the list in 2014.
• Transnational Inscription: Navroz is a shared international inscription submitted jointly by multiple countries including India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asian nations.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Culture handles preservation and nomination efforts, with Sangeet Natak Akademi acting as the central executive body.
• Kutiyattam Specifics: Kutiyattam is India’s oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre tradition, traditionally performed in temple theatres called Kuttampalams by the Chakyar and Nangyaramma communities.
• Mudiyettu Details: Mudiyettu is a ritual dance drama from Kerala depicting the mythological duel between Goddess Kali and the demon Darika.
• Ramman Specifics: Ramman is celebrated exclusively in Salur Dungra village of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, featuring performances with wooden masks dedicated to the local deity Bhumiyal Devta.
• Sankirtana Feature: Sankirtana marks major life stages of Vaishnava Hindus in Manipur, featuring the use of the Pung (hand drum) and Kartal (cymbals).