Red Fort to host Unesco meet on protecting intangible heritage | India News
NEW DELHI: The Red Fort complex in the heart of the capital will be the venue of the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage from Dec 8-13 with over 1,000 delegates from more than 185 countries expected to participate. The inauguration will be held on Sunday.Undeterred by the blast that occurred on Nov 10 near the historical monument, the govt is going all out to uphold the spirit of India and send out a strong message from the Red Fort complex, also a Unesco World Heritage Site.From varied galleries showcasing art, history and artefacts to states setting up stalls to present India’s diverse culture and stage performances — the Red Fort is all set to bring alive the India story over the next one week in one place. The culture ministry plans to keep the cultural components and the galleries open even after the meeting is over so that people can visit them over the next one month in the run-up to Republic Day on Jan 26.The meeting is not only a significant platform for cultural diplomacy and showcasing India’s soft power, but also important as it has formally proposed the festival of Diwali for inclusion in Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) list. India’s nomination will be examined for inscription on the list at the session. This will mark a significant step to gain global recognition for this major festival, following previous Indian inclusions like Durga Puja in Kolkata, Kumbh Mela, Buddhist chanting of Ladakh, Yoga, Nawrouz and Garba of Gujarat.India currently has 15 elements inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.On why Red Fort was chosen, culture minister Gajendra Shekhawat said one day when he came with officials to the site to review the state of maintenance and management of the monument, this thought came up that why not hold this global meet on intangible heritage in a Unesco World Heritage site. “It was challenging but everyone in the ministry worked hard as a team. They kept working despite the recent incident (the blast case near Red Fort) that you saw. Three new galleries have also been readied. We are now ready to welcome the dignitaries,” he added.The meeting will examine nominations submitted by state parties for inscription on the Unesco ICH list, review the status of existing elements and provide international assistance for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
