United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) has recently inscribed three significant Indian literary works – Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and Sahṛdayaloka-Locana – into its regional register for 2024.
Authored by Goswami Tulsidas, Pt. Vishnu Sharma, and Acharya Anandvardhan respectively, these timeless texts have profoundly impacted Indian literature and culture, shaping the moral and artistic fabric of the nation.
The works were nominated by India and subsequently accepted during the 10th MOWCAP meeting held from May 7-8 in Mongolia.
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) played a crucial role in this achievement, advocating for the inclusion of these works at the MOWCAP meeting.
A statement from the Government of India highlighted this milestone as a testament to IGNCA’s commitment to preserving and promoting India’s cultural heritage on a global scale.
Tim Curtis, Director of UNESCO’s South Asia Regional Office, congratulated India, stating, “This is a significant achievement in recognizing and safeguarding the diverse and artistic expressions that shape humanity. These literary treasures will enlighten and inspire generations to come.”
Ramcharitmanas is a revered epic widely read across Southeast Asia, while Panchatantra comprises fables imparting universal moral lessons. Sahṛdayaloka-Locana, a 15th-century scholarly work written in Kashmiri, is celebrated for its aesthetic appeal.
In addition to these Indian works, the register now includes 17 other inscriptions such as the Funafuti: The Edgeworth David 1897 expedition documents (Australia and Tuvalu), Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya S. Hossain (Bangladesh), and several significant archives and manuscripts from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Since its inception in 1992, UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MoW) Programme has aimed to preserve the world’s documentary heritage, ensuring these invaluable resources remain accessible and protected for future generation.
