The chances of Gujarat’s famous Garba receiving the coveted Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH) tag bestowed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have improved as efforts to include Gujarat’s nine-day-long traditional festival on UNESCO’s representative list have increased.
The Indian government’s culture ministry is working on a dossier that will be submitted to UNESCO by the end of the month. The task has been assigned to a project team from MS University, Vadodara, by the ministry’s implementing agency, Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Last week, Delhi government officials were in Vadodara, Gujarat, to discuss the process with the team.
On December 15, 2021, Unesco granted Durga puja in Kolkata ICH status, making it Asia’s first festival to do so.
All stakeholders in Gujarat have been asked to sign letters of consent for Garba’s nomination. Garba will become Gujarat’s first intangible cultural heritage to be listed by UNESCO if it is inscribed.