UNESCO recognises Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana

Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana of India is among 20 items of the Asia Pacific region  which has been included in the 2024 cycle of the ‘UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register’.

The Memory of the World Asia Pacific Committee recognises and honours the Asia-Pacific achievements in genealogy, literature, and science, among other categories.

The decision to include Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahṛdayāloka-Locana  was taken at the 10th General Meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) ,held  from 7 and 8 May, in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia.

The 10th General Meeting of MOWCAP was hosted by the Mongolian government's Ministry of Culture, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, and the Bangkok Regional Office of UNESCO.

The meeting was attended by 38 representatives from member states convened alongside 40 observers and nominees. 

Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and Sahṛdayaloka-Locana

Ramcharitmanas was written by Tulsidas in the 16th century A.D in the Awadhi dialect. It is different from Ramanaya which was written by Sage Valmiki in Sanskrit language. The Ramcharitmanas is written in Chaupai form. 

Panchatantra is one of the oldest collections of fables in the world, composed in Sanskrit. Vishnusharma, the court scholar of King Amar Shakti of Mahilaropya, is credited with compiling it.

It was probably composed around 300 BCE. It was translated into Pahlavi (Iranian language)in 550 BCE.

'Sahṛdayaloka-Locana' has been composed by Acharya Anandvardhan in Sanskrit. He lived in Kashmir during the second half of the 10th century and the first half of the 11th century AD.

20 Inscribed items to the  2024 MOWCAP Regional Register for Asia-Pacific

The 20 Asia Pacific inscribed items are as follows:

UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) was founded in 1945 as a specialised agency of the United Nations.

The six main areas of UNESCO programmes are education, natural sciences, ocean sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information.

It was set up on 16 November 1945. 

Members: It has 194 Members and 12 Associate Members (as per the UNESCO site).

Headquarters: Paris, France 

Director General: Audrey Azoulay (France)