Global Recognition of Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra
19 Apr 2025
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.
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format Integration of PYQ within the booklet Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now ! UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format Integration of PYQ within the booklet Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
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