Bhagavad Gita &Natyashastra in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register

The classical ancient Indian texts, Natyashastra and Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, have been inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The total number of Indian inscriptions inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register now stands at 14. 

The addition of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra to the UNESCO register was announced by the Union Minister for Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on 18 April 2025.

74 New text added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register

• The Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at its meeting held in Paris, France, on 17 April 2025, approved the recommendation of its International Advisory Committee to add 74 new documentaries to its List of the Memory of the World Register.
• The 74 documentaries are from  72 countries and four international organisations.
• The newly added documentaries cover diverse fields, including the scientific revolution, women's contributions to history, and major milestones of multilateralism.
• With the inclusion of 74 new documentaries, the total inscribed documentaries on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register is now 570.

About the Bhagavad Gita

• The Srimad Bhagavad Gita is mentioned in the Bhīṣmaparva, a part of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. 
• Maharishi Ved Vyas is said to have composed the Mahabharata.
• Bhagavad Gita consists of 700 verses in 18 chapters.
• It is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the eve of the great war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, also known as the Mahabharata.
• Srimad Bhagavad Gita is seen as a collection of ancient Indian intellectual tradition that encompasses the wisdom of Vedic, Buddhist, Jain and Cārvāka philosophical traditions. 

About Natyashastra

• Natyashastra, composed by Bharatamuni in the 2nd century B.C, comprises 36,000 verses.
• The Natyashasatra, also known as the Gandharva Veda, is a treatise that is considered the essence of Nāṭyaveda — an oral tradition of performing arts.
• Natyaśāstra is an elaborate treatise on nāṭya (drama), abhinaya (performance), rasa (aesthetic essence), bhāva (emotion), and saṅgīta (music). 
• The ancient text is considered the foundation of Indian theatre, poetics, aesthetics, dance, and music.
• The original form of the Natyashastra is believed to be preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.

About UNESCO’s Memory of the World 

The UNESCO Memory of the World Registry was launched in 1992 by UNESCO. 

• The primary objective of the Registry is to preserve archives of historical and cultural value, making them accessible to all without any hindrance.
• Enhance public awareness of the importance of documentary heritage. 

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