Three literary works of India, Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Safdayaloka Lokana, were presented as part of the UNESCO World Memory of the World Heritage Site Asia-Pacific during the 10th meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) held earlier this year. Added to regional register. A week in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Here we introduce the importance of the work, its Memory of the World (MOW) listing, and other texts added this year.
What meaning does the work have?
The Ministry of Culture said in a statement on Monday, May 13, that the registration of the three works highlights the importance of preserving and celebrating the diverse stories and artistic expressions that form our common humanity. . “These literary works have transcended time and place and left an indelible mark on readers and artists in India and abroad,” the ministry said.
Sources involved in the nomination process told The Indian Express that the three texts were chosen because of their enduring appeal across the world. For example, “Ramayana” and “Ramcharitmana” are read not only in India but also in other Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, says Ramesh, director of the Kala Nidhi Department at the Indira Gandhi National Center. says Chandra Gaur. the Arts (IGNCA) is the nodal agency that submits nominations for the list.
Two manuscripts of Ramacharitmana sent to UNESCO Gaur said one was written by Goswami Tulsidas and the other was written in Arabic in the 18th century, underscoring the document’s appeal to Western Asia and other parts of the world. .
The fables of Panchatantra focused on its universal moral values. His Lokana, built in the 15th century by Kashmiri scholars Acharya Anandvardhan and Abhinavagupta, was chosen for its beauty.
What is MoW register?
UNESCO’s MOW program is an international cooperation strategy aimed at protecting, protecting, and promoting access and use of documentary heritage, especially rare and endangered heritage. According to its charter, UNESCO launched an initiative in 1992 that calls for the preservation and widespread dissemination of valuable archival and library collections around the world “to prevent mass amnesia.”
The program recognizes documentary heritage of international, regional and national importance, maintains its register and awards the logo to identified collections. This facilitates storage and access without discrimination. We run documentary heritage awareness campaigns to alert governments, the general public, businesses and traders to the need for preservation, and to raise funds.
Inscriptions on the register confirm the importance of the documentary heritage, make it better known and make it more accessible, thereby facilitating research, education, entertainment and long-term preservation.
What are the other items on the list?
According to the UNESCO website, as of May 2023, there are 494 entries in the International MoW Register. However, MoW registration also works at a regional level. The Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Committee (MOWCAP) includes his three volumes of India, celebrating the achievements of the Asia-Pacific region in genealogy, literature and science. Member countries registered 20 products during the 2024 cycle, in addition to India’s three products on the list, at the 10th General Assembly held in Ulaanbaatar.
Three people each came from China and Indonesia, and two people each came from Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan. Documents documenting important innovations in business and industrial technology, such as the entrepreneurial spirit of China’s tea-drinking business, globally applied sugar research and regional cement production in Indonesia, were recognized. Regional literary traditions were celebrated through the recognition of the indigenous Filipino Hinilawod chant, the East Asian legend of the nine tripods found in the bronze bas-reliefs of Vietnam’s Nine Dynasty vases.
The 2024 cycle also celebrated science and literature by honoring Bangladeshi science fiction feminist author Rokeya S. Hossain. In her 1905 utopian tale The Sultana’s Dream, she imagined both helicopters and solar panels before they were invented. Also in 2024 was a joint document between Australia and Tuvalu on the results of a scientific expedition investigating coral reef formation. Since its establishment in 1998, the MOWCAP Regional Register has registered his 65 products from Asia-Pacific countries.
