India Moves to Nominate Chhath Mahaparva for UNESCO Recognition

The Union Ministry of Culture has initiated the process to nominate Chhath Mahaparva for inclusion in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The recognition is granted to living traditions and cultural practices sustained by communities worldwide.

Multinational Nomination Process
The Ministry held a meeting with senior diplomatic representatives of the UAE, Suriname, and the Netherlands to seek their cooperation for a multinational nomination of the festival. The proposal is being coordinated by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s nodal agency for UNESCO nominations, under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

About Chhath Mahaparva
Observed mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and parts of West Bengal, Chhath is a four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God. The rituals include fasting, bathing in rivers or ponds, and making offerings to the setting and rising sun on the banks of water bodies. It is one of the most significant festivals of eastern India, deeply rooted in agrarian and cultural traditions.

India’s Presence on UNESCO List
At present, India has 15 elements inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These include Kutiyattam (Sanskrit theatre), Vedic chanting, Ramlila, Ramman, Chhau dance, Kalbelia songs and dances of Rajasthan, Mudiyettu of Kerala, Buddhist chanting of Ladakh, the traditional brass and copper craft of the Thatheras of Punjab, Yoga, Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja in Kolkata, Garba of Gujarat, Navroz (Nowruz), and a shared nomination on male vocal polyphonic singing.