UN may declare yoga Indian heritage
Kounteya Sinha
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London
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Unesco Head Says Panel Studying Proposal; Could Be 33rd Desi Item On List
Yoga may soon be declared an intangible cultural heritage of India.In an exclusive interview to TOI, a day before her first bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris, Unesco director general Irina Bokova said that yoga is in the list of elements to be considered by the Intangible Heritage Committee for inscription on Unesco's register.
Modi was instrumental in getting the United Nations to declare June 21 as the International Yoga Day endorsed by 175 out of 193 members and is expected to unveil a portal on yoga in France on April 10.
Bokova told TOI “a lot of my friends have benefitted immensely both spiritually and physically by practising yoga in difficult times. It is a unique living tradition of India. Unesco's general conference in October will also look to endorse the international yoga day as spearheaded by prime minster Modi“.
According to Bokova who is the first woman to lead UNESCO and is now serving her second term, yoga will come up for inscription in front of the intergovernmental com mittee for safe guarding intangible cultural heritage in 2016.
“It is multifaceted philosophy and tradition that unifies mind body and soul. I have read a lot about yoga and tried it too. I know that PM Modi practises yoga regularly ,“ Bokova added.
If selected, yoga will become the 31st intangible cultural heritage that has been listed from India so far with Unesco.
The permanent delegation of India to Unesco recently began yoga classes for all ambassadors, delegations and secretariat at Unesco.
The Indian misson said “Yoga is practiced by 250 million worldwide, including the three million in France.This art of right living was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years ago and the foundations of yoga philosophy were written down in the Yoga Sutra of Pa tanjali in 200 AD“.
The Buddhist chanting of Ladakh -recitation of sacred Buddhist texts was inscribed in 2012 as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity . In 2013, Sankirtana -the ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur was inscribed while in 2014, it was the traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab. The famous Chhau dance was inscribed in 2010 on the list.
Modi's 3-nation trip to bolster India's `Link West' diplomacy: Chinese daily
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to France, Germany and Canada this month is part of New Delhi's efforts to bolster its `Link West' policy, a leading English daily of China stated on Thursday. “In an effort to bolster his `Link West' diplomacy, Indian PM Narendra Modi kicks off his maiden visit to Europe on Thursday since assuming office in May last year, with stops at France and Germany before he travels to Canada,“ the Global Timessaid in an op-ed piece. IANS
Modi was instrumental in getting the United Nations to declare June 21 as the International Yoga Day endorsed by 175 out of 193 members and is expected to unveil a portal on yoga in France on April 10.
Bokova told TOI “a lot of my friends have benefitted immensely both spiritually and physically by practising yoga in difficult times. It is a unique living tradition of India. Unesco's general conference in October will also look to endorse the international yoga day as spearheaded by prime minster Modi“.
According to Bokova who is the first woman to lead UNESCO and is now serving her second term, yoga will come up for inscription in front of the intergovernmental com mittee for safe guarding intangible cultural heritage in 2016.
“It is multifaceted philosophy and tradition that unifies mind body and soul. I have read a lot about yoga and tried it too. I know that PM Modi practises yoga regularly ,“ Bokova added.
If selected, yoga will become the 31st intangible cultural heritage that has been listed from India so far with Unesco.
The permanent delegation of India to Unesco recently began yoga classes for all ambassadors, delegations and secretariat at Unesco.
The Indian misson said “Yoga is practiced by 250 million worldwide, including the three million in France.This art of right living was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years ago and the foundations of yoga philosophy were written down in the Yoga Sutra of Pa tanjali in 200 AD“.
The Buddhist chanting of Ladakh -recitation of sacred Buddhist texts was inscribed in 2012 as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity . In 2013, Sankirtana -the ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur was inscribed while in 2014, it was the traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab. The famous Chhau dance was inscribed in 2010 on the list.
Modi's 3-nation trip to bolster India's `Link West' diplomacy: Chinese daily
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to France, Germany and Canada this month is part of New Delhi's efforts to bolster its `Link West' policy, a leading English daily of China stated on Thursday. “In an effort to bolster his `Link West' diplomacy, Indian PM Narendra Modi kicks off his maiden visit to Europe on Thursday since assuming office in May last year, with stops at France and Germany before he travels to Canada,“ the Global Timessaid in an op-ed piece. IANS
