Last Wednesday was a pleasant day for Gujaratis and everyone who enjoys grooving on Garba beats, as UNESCO assented to the inclusion of the Garba dance form in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity. The dance form is the most popular folk dance form in the state of Gujarat. It was the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO held in the Republic of Botswana when the decision to add "Garba" as an "intangible heritage" was taken.
Not only Garba but 14 other elements from multiple areas of the country have been inscribed to UNESCO's representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
🔴 BREAKING
— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) December 6, 2023
New inscription on the #IntangibleHeritage List: Garba of Gujarat, #India 🇮🇳.
Congratulations!https://t.co/c2HMPpStCA #LivingHeritage pic.twitter.com/YcupgYLFjg
The Indian government collaborated with the government of Gujarat and gave the nomination to the evaluation body of the committee, and the latter recently assented to it.
The evaluation body's chief called the dance form of Garba a "ritualistic and devotional dance that is performed on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, which is dedicated to the worship of the feminine energy."
The official website of UNESCO expressed that the bearers and practitioners of the garba dance form are quite inclusive and broad, incorporating musicians, dancers, religious figures, and craftspeople in preparations and festivities. The dance form is transmitted via practice and observation. It transcends gender, socio-economic, and religious structures, and thus fosters equality. The dance form, as expressed by the website of UNESCO, is inclusive of diverse communities, thereby strengthening social bonds.
Here's how the Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi expressed his joy on the news
Garba is a celebration of life, unity, and our deep-rooted traditions. Its inscription on the Intangible Heritage List showcases to the world the beauty of Indian culture. This honor inspires us to preserve and promote our heritage for future generations. Congrats on this global… https://t.co/9kRkLZ1Igt
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2023
When the big announcement was made on Wednesday, a beautiful garba dance performance was performed by an Indian group on a song written by PM Narendra Modi at the committee's 18th session.
The people behind the proposal
One of the prominent names who gave the submission of the name of the dance form to UNESCO was choreographer and dancer, Professor Parul Shah. She has also been a former dean at the MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts in Vadodara. Additionally, while the lady was involved in preparing the proposal and submitting it to the Union Ministry of Culture, the MSU was designation as the "nodal agency" for the proposal by the ministry. Professor Parul Shah and Professor Utpala Desai prepared the dossier. Not to miss, a 10-minute film based on the dance form Garba was made by prominent filmmaker Manish Baradia (Moving Pixels), as a part of the proposal.
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