Unesco on Thursday included Indian ancient practice of yoga in its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The world heritage committee said that yoga was added to the list as a recognition of its influence on Indian society. The decision was taken in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 11th session of the intergovernmental committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
“Designed to help individuals build self-realisation, ease any suffering they may be experiencing and allow for a state of liberation, [yoga] is practised by the young and old without discriminating against gender, class or religion,” tweeted Unesco. Apart from yoga, the United Nations body has also added Cuba’s rumba dance and Belgium’s beer culture to the list, on which the Mediterranean diet, Peking opera and the Peruvian scissors dance have featured in the past, reported The Guardian.
Yoga is the 13th intangible cultural heritage to be listed from India so far, according to The New Indian Express. The others include the Chhau dance, the Buddhist chanting of Ladakh and Ramlila. Unesco began compiling a list for cultural and natural world heritage in 1972. The list now has 814 cultural sites, 203 natural ones and 35 with both natural and cultural qualities.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “The inscription and classification [of yoga] as a ‘human treasure’ brings immense recognition to yoga, clearing as it has rigorous criteria set out by Unesco, the only UN body mandated to capture the intangible aspects of culture.” It was on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal that the UN General Assembly had declared June 21 International Yoga Day in December 2014.
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