IGNCA highlights enduring relevance of ‘Natyashastra; at UNESCO event

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) organised an academic programme titled ‘Natyashastra – Synthesis of Theory and Praxis’ on the sidelines of the 20th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at the Red Fort.

Discussions focused on the Natyashastra as a living knowledge system that continues to integrate theory and practice within India’s performing arts traditions. A short film produced by the IGNCA Media Centre on the inscription of the Natyashastra in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register was screened and well received.

In her chair address, Padma Vibhushan awardee, scholar, guru, and former Rajya Sabha member Sonal Mansingh highlighted the enduring universality of the Natyashastra, emphasising its relevance across time and cultures and its continued capacity to inform contemporary artistic practice, aesthetic reflection, and cultural discourse.

IGNCA Member Secretary Sachchidanand Joshi reflected on the text as an intellectual continuum rather than a closed canon, emphasising its dialogic nature and its role as a living knowledge system integrating theory and practice.

Sandhya Purecha presented an overview of the Natyashastra’s systematic structure, philosophical depth, and pan-Indian influence, while Chittaranjan Tripathy spoke on ‘Contemporary Theatre and the Natyashastra’, explaining how classical dramaturgical principles continue to shape modern theatre, performance practices, and pedagogy.

Prof. Sudhir Kumar Lall, Head of Kalakosa at IGNCA, noted that the Natyashastra offers a comprehensive vision of drama, dance, and music rooted in the union of thought and action, while Yogesh Sharma elaborated on ‘Natyangas, the Conceptual Framework of the Text’, highlighting the elements underpinning performance aesthetics and meaning-making.

The programme concluded with reflections from the speakers, reaffirming the enduring relevance of classical knowledge systems and IGNCA’s commitment to informed discourse on India’s cultural legacy.