Recently Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra have been inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
About UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register
- The UNESCO Memory of the World Register Programme is a global initiative that seeks to preserve and provide access to the world’s documentary heritage.
- Origin: It was launched by UNESCO in 1992 in response to increasing threats to documentary heritage, including war, neglect, and natural disasters.
- It was created to support efforts in preserving historically significant documents and manuscripts across the globe.
- Objectives:
- To ensure universal access to the heritages without cultural or political barriers.
- To raise public awareness about the importance and relevance of documentary materials in shaping civilisations, identities, and histories.
- Significance:
- It emphasizes that documentary heritage is a shared legacy of humanity and must be protected and made accessible for current and future generations.
- It celebrates documents of outstanding universal value, including texts, manuscripts, oral traditions, audio-visual materials, and more.
About Bhagavad Gita Introduction: The Bhagavad Gita is a revered philosophical and spiritual scripture rooted in ancient Indian tradition.
- Origin: The Gita is found in the Bhīṣmaparva of the Mahabharata (chapters 23–40), containing 700 verses across 18 chapters.
- It is structured as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, set on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
World Heritage Day 2025
- World Heritage Day, observed every April 18, was initiated by the( International Council on Monuments and Sites) ICOMOS in 1982 and adopted by UNESCO in 1983.
- It aims to promote awareness about the significance of cultural and natural heritage and the need for its preservation.
- Purpose: The day emphasizes collective responsibility in preserving humanity’s shared history and identity.
- 2025 Theme: “Heritage under Threat from Disasters and Conflicts: Preparedness and Learning from 60 Years of ICOMOS Actions.”
- This theme highlights the importance of protecting heritage sites from the growing risks of natural disasters and conflicts, using six decades of global expertise.
|
- Content: The text synthesizes diverse philosophical traditions including Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, and materialist (Cārvāka) ideas.
- It addresses key themes such as dharma (duty), detachment, devotion, and spiritual enlightenment.
- Cultural Significance: The Gita is a core component of India’s intellectual tradition and has influenced philosophy, ethics, and spiritual practice worldwide.
About Natyashastra
- Introduction: The Natyashastra, authored by Bharat Muni, is the foundational treatise on Indian performing arts.
- It is known as the Nāṭyaveda, or the science of drama and performance.
- Origin: The text was likely codified around the 2nd century B.C. and is preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.
- It is an oral tradition comprising 36,000 verses, also referred to as Gāndharvaveda.
- Content: The Natyashastra provides a detailed framework on drama (nāṭya), emotion (bhāva), aesthetics (rasa), performance (abhinaya), and music (saṅgīta).
- It defines key artistic principles such as the rasa theory, emphasizing that “no meaning can blossom forth without rasa.”
- Cultural Significance:
- The text has profoundly influenced Indian theatre, dance, poetics, and aesthetics for centuries.
- It continues to inspire global artistic traditions and literary theories, underlining the universal relevance of Indian performance art.
To get PDF version, Please click on "Print PDF" button.
PWOnlyIAS
