India’s Kumbh Mela, a massive congregation of religious pilgrims, which is held in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every 12 years, has joined UNESCO’S list of intangible world heritage. This inscription is the third in two years following the inscriptions of ´Yoga´ and ´Nouroz´ on December 1 last year.
A tweet posted by the international organisation said, “India’s Kumbh Mela has been recognised by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”.
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the UN body inscribed Kumbh Mela on the “Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” at its ongoing 12th session in Jeju, South Korea.
Hailing its inclusion in the prestigious list, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma tweeted, “A very proud moment for us as sacred #KumbhMela is just inscribed as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by @UNESCO. Kumbh Mela is considered to be the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, attended by millions irrespective of caste, creed or gender.”
The inscription of elements on the list helps countries which are a part of UNESCO’s convention for safeguarding cultural heritage to mobilise international cooperation and assistance for ensuring that communities continue to practise and transmit such aspects of their heritage.
The committee also took note of the fact that knowledge and skills related to Kumbh Mela are transmitted through the Guru-Shishya parampara (teacher-student relationship) by way of saints and sadhus teaching their disciples about traditional rituals and chants.
“It is a culturally diverse festival” where “knowledge and skills related to the tradition are transmitted through ancient religious manuscripts, oral traditions, historical travelogues and texts produced by eminent historians” said UNESCO’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ website.
It represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship and cleansing in holy rivers.
The inscription of Kumbh Mela was recommended by the expert body which examines in detail nominations submitted by Member States.
“Kumbh Mela is considered to be the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, attended by millions irrespective of caste, creed or gender,” Sharma further tweeted.
The list already included more than 350 traditions, art forms and practices from Spain’s flamenco dancing to Indonesian batik fabrics, to more obscure entries such as a Turkish oil wrestling festival and the Mongolian coaxing ritual for camels.
UNESCO said globalisation and young people’s rejection of traditional heritage had driven the practice “closer to oblivion”.