Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, Sahrdayaloka-Locana Now Part Of UNESCO 'Memory Of The World Asia-Pacific' Register

The UNESCO Memory of the World Register is part of an international initiative launched by UNESCO in 1992 to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity.

The Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahrdayaloka-Locana have been included in ‘UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register’. The decision was made at the 10th General Meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP), held on May 7-8 in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, officials said in Delhi on Monday. 

The ‘Sahṛdayaloka-Locana’, ‘Panchatantra’, and ‘Ramcharitmanas’ were authored by Acharya Anandvardhan, Pt Vishnu Sharma, and Goswami Tulsidas, respectively.

In a press release, the Union Ministry of Culture said these are "timeless works that have deeply influenced Indian literature and culture, shaping the nation's moral fabric and artistic expressions". "These literary works have transcended time and place, leaving a mark on readers and artists both within and outside India," it added. 

Professor Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Dean (Administration) and Head of Department, Kala Nidhi Division, at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), successfully presented the three entries from India. Gaur, the ministry said, effectively defended the nominations at the convention.

The three works were included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, which was created in 2008, following rigorous deliberations and voting by member-state representatives. 

The 10th General Meeting of the MOWCAP was hosted by the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, and the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the world body said in a statement on May 8. This year, the MOWCAP Regional Register sought to celebrate "human research, innovation and imagination".

"Genealogical records were especially notable among 2024 inscriptions, with Mongolia's Family Chart of Hereditary Lords of the Khalkha Mongols, the House of Genghis Khan; as well as the communities of Huizhou in China, and Kedah State in Malaysia, as testaments to the importance of collating regional family histories," the statement said. 

What Is UNESCO Memory of the World Register?

The UNESCO Memory of the World Register is part of an international initiative launched by UNESCO in 1992 to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity. The programme aims to preserve and ensure access to documentary materials of significant historical, cultural, and scientific value. This includes manuscripts, printed books, archival documents, films, audio, and photographic records that are unique and irreplaceable.

"Inscription on the register publicly affirms the significance of the documentary heritage, makes it better known and allows for greater access to it, thereby facilitating research, education, entertainment, and preservation over time," the UNESCO website notes, adding that the register had 494 inscriptions as of May 2023.