Gujarat’s traditional dance form Garba has been nominated by India for inclusion in the UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. As per reports by the Ministry of Culture, the nomination will be considered for the next year cycle. Secretary of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Tim Curtis had shared details on it during a presentation made at an event held at the National Museum here to mark the UNESCO tag awarded to Kolkata’s Durga Puja festival last December.
The nomination files will be examined by the evaluation body mid-2023 and the inscription will be decided at the 2023 session of the committee by the end of next year. The Garba dance of Gujarat was currently undergoing technical treatment by the Secretariat.
India currently has 14 Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) elements which are inscribed on this list, including Ramlila, Vedic Chants, Kumbh Mela and the latest being Kolkata’s Durga Puja.
The UNSECO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage was established in 2008 to safeguard intangible heritage elements that help to demonstrate diversity. India currently has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the list, the latest being Durga Puja which was included last year. The other listed elements include music, dance, theater, festivals, rituals and more.