Symposium marks inclusion of Gita, Natyashastra in UNESCO register

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday inaugurated a national symposium in the Capital to mark the inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register.

Addressing the gathering, Shekhawat called it “one of the most memorable days” of his life and said the recognition reaffirms India’s deep-rooted contributions to global civilisation. The event, held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, saw the ceremonial presentation of UNESCO certificates to Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) and Pune-based Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), which jointly curated the dossiers submitted for the listing.

Dignitaries, including Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj, founder of GIEO Gita and Gita Gyan Sansthanam, Kurukshetra, and Sonal Mansingh, Padma Vibhushan awardee and former Rajya Sabha MP, Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, and Ramesh C Gaur, in-charge of the UNESCO MoW Nodal Centre and Dean (Administration), IGNCA, were also present.

“This is a proud moment for every Indian,” said Shekhawat. “The Bhagavad Gita does not need validation from the West, yet this global recognition matters. For a generation alienated from its roots during colonial times, such honours rekindle pride in our culture,” said Shekhawat.

The Minister said the memory of the world tag would help preserve the original manuscripts and ensure global awareness of these foundational Indian texts. He credited the scholars and institutions involved, saying, “My role was only to tweet about the announcement. The real work was done by IGNCA and BORI teams who submitted the meticulous dossiers.”

Reflecting on India’s intellectual legacy, Shekhawat noted that while other civilisations were “still struggling to form identity,” India was already shaping complex spiritual and aesthetic philosophies. “The Bhagavad Gita, believed to be over 5,000 years old, presents the eternal essence of life, while the Natyashastra, dating back 2,500 years, laid the framework for Indian classical art,” he said.

He also drew parallels with the recent success in retrieving a portion of Lord Buddha’s relics from an auction abroad. Shekhawat shared that with the support of the Godrej Foundation and the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sacred relics — once gifted to British excavator William Peppe — have been brought back to India and are now housed at the National Museum.

Shekhawat highlighted efforts to preserve India’s ancient manuscript heritage, noting that over one crore manuscripts — some over 2,000 years old —exist in India. He reiterated the government’s commitment to digitising these texts under the National Manuscript Mission.

“Once these texts are digitised and made accessible globally — even in AI-readable formats — the world will truly recognise India’s status as Vishwaguru,” Shekhawat said. “We owe this not only to our ancestors but to the future of global knowledge.”

The Bhagavad Gita is revered as a philosophical guide on life, duty and righteousness. The Natyashastra, authored by sage Bharata, is a foundational Sanskrit treatise on drama, dance, and music, and forms the bedrock of Indian classical arts. Their inscription in the UNESCO register not only validates their cultural and intellectual legacy but also strengthens India’s efforts to assert its rich heritage on the world stage.