New Delhi: Yoga, India’s one of the ancient practices has now been inscribed as an element in the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity during the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During this session, India’s proposal for inscribing Yoga as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was unanimously supported by all the 24 members of the Intergovernmental Committee.
Yoga has become the 13th intangible cultural heritage that has been listed from India so far with UNESCO. Previous ones includes the Chhau dance( Inscribed in 2010), the Buddhist chanting of Ladakh ( inscribed in 2012), Sankirtana –the ritual singing, drumming, and dancing of Manipur( inscribed in 2013), the traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab(inscribed in 2014) and Ramlila- the traditional performance of the Ramayana ( inscribed in 2008).
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has played a key role in having the United Nation declare June 21st as the International Yoga Day in 2014. Government of India has been taking forward the momentum created by celebration of International Yoga Day in 2015 and 2016 with greater and more active participation of youth & other stakeholders of the community. The government has continuously been promoting Yoga as a human treasure and a key to noble health.
The delegation from India that attended the Intergovernmental Committee Meeting was lead by the permanent representative of India to UNESCO, Ms. Ruchira Kamboj and a Government of India representative, Shri M. L. Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture.
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