Ministry of Culture
IGNCA to Host Symposium on Gita and Natyashastra’s UNESCO Recognition
Posted On:
29 JUL 2025 6:27PM by PIB Delhi
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will host a two-day National Symposium titled ‘Timeless Texts and Universal Teachings: Inscription of Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register’ on 30th and 31st July 2025 in New Delhi. The symposium is being organised to commemorate the inscription of two foundational Indian texts-the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra-into the prestigious UNESCO Memory of the World International Register, acknowledging their global significance and enduring relevance.
The inaugural session will be held on 30th July 2025 at 4:00 PM at the Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, will grace the occasion as Chief Guest. The session will be chaired by Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, Padma Bhushan awardee and President of the IGNCA Trust. The Guests of Honour will be Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj, Founder of G.I.E.O. Gita and Gita Gyan Sansthanam, Kurukshetra, and Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Padma Vibhushan awardee and former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, will deliver the opening address, and Prof. (Dr.) Ramesh C. Gaur, In-charge of the UNESCO MoW Nodal Centre and Dean (Administration), IGNCA, will deliver the welcome address and introduction.
The valedictory session of the symposium is scheduled for 31st July 2025 at 5:00 PM at the Samvet Auditorium, IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi. Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, will attend as Chief Guest, while Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, will be the Guest of Honour. The session will be chaired by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, and Prof. (Dr.) Ramesh C. Gaur will present the welcome address and a brief summary of the deliberations.
Through this symposium, IGNCA seeks to bring together scholars, cultural thinkers, and heritage professionals to reflect upon the timeless wisdom embedded in the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra, and to reaffirm their relevance as living texts in contemporary global discourse.
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Sunil Kumar Tiwari
pubculture[at]gmail[dot]com
(Release ID: 2149871)