Gone are the days when Indian culture and philosophy was looked down upon and it has become a history many years ago and Western nations have ceased to label Indian’s as the snake charmers. Indian’s are by and large best innovators and have acquired new and ever new skills and they as such are adventures and science friendly and are excelling in science and technology and as such have got recognition by the prestigious world /international organization. Recently Indian culture, philosophy, culture, tradition has got a quantum jump when UNESCO has given recognition to the treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom which is Bhagwat Gita which is also called song celestial. Along with Gita ,Indian Natyashastra was also recognized and added to UNESCO’s Memory of world Register. It is by any and every standard not an ordinary development but it is really a great feat for Indian cultural heritage and philosophy. Indian government ,its leaders and political parties along the spectrum have welcomed the recognition accorded to Indian scripture –Bhagwat Gita and Bhartiya Nirtyashastra and this amounts to recognition to Indian culture and philosophy and the UNESCO deserves all praise and commendation for according recognition to Gita and Nirtyashastra.

It is no less than an great achievement of the country. But we should not be complacent but strive hard to get the attention of the western world and for this we should continue our march on the path of prosperity ,technology and we should cherish our culture and value system and not allow our youth to be westernized under the garb of modernization. No doubt we have to learn science and latest technology from the west, however the west has to learn culture and philosophy from India. It is a matter of joy that Indian’s no longer are looked down upon as fatalists only but the international community should appreciate our rich cultural heritage and our religious traditions and customs. In past India had the privilege of being a world leader and in common parlance as Vishwaguru and in future Indian will again acquire such an exalted status of Vishwaguru in future due to the selfless efforts of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his NDA government. Our political parties without any exception should not indulge in blame game but make concerted efforts to get the exalted status of Vishwaguru in the future and all this will give due respect to the feelings and aspirations of the people. Recently ,the manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharata Natyashastra were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the world Registers .This recognition marks their significance in preserving cultural heritage of India at global scale. UNESCO initiated the Memory of the World Programme in 1992.Its goal is to safeguard documentary heritage globally.
This includes manuscripts, oral traditions , and archival materials of outstanding universal value. The programme aims to prevent collective amnesia and ensure accessibility to documents. The Memory of the World Register is updated biennially ,featuring entries from various countries. It is in the fitness of things to underline the importance of Bhagvad Gita and Bharats Natyashastra and for their significance, world appeal and universal applicability, these books were added in the Memory of the World Registers .The Bhagavad Gita is a 700 –verse scripture embedded in the Mahabharata .It is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna ,addressing moral dilemmas before a great war. The Gita synthesizes various philosophical traditions including Vedic ,Buddhist, and Jain thoughts. Its teachings on duty, righteousness and devotion have influenced countless readers and thinkers globally.
Gita is a treasure trove for the whole humanity and it is so good that the value and significance of this Indian scripture has been recognized and appreciated worldwide and the UNESCO recognition is a step in this direction. Gita is a philosophy and shows the way of life and asks people to perform their allotted duties and works without any attachment to the fruits of their work. It in a way shows people their duties ,responsibilities and shows how the people can get salvation from the cycle of recurrent birth and death. Along with Gita, another Indian text called Natyashastra has also been included in the Memory of world Register and thus accorded due place in the world heritage, culture and philosophy. Natyashastra is an ancient treatise on performing arts , attributed to sage Bharata. It consists of 36,000 verses detailing the principles of dharma ,performances , and aesthatics. The concept of ‘rasa’ is central to its teachings ,stressing the emotional experience of art .
This text has deeply shaped Indian theatre ,dance, and music ,serving as a foundational guide for artists. With the recent additions ,India now has 14 entries in the Memory of the World Register and these include-1---IAS Tamil Medical Manuscript collection-1997.It is the first Indian entry in UNESCO’s World Register. It includes 564 Tamil medical texts on palm leaves. It is stored at the Institute of Asian Studies Chennai. It contains Siddha and Ayurvedic knowledge –how to make medicines from herbs.2—Saiva Manuscript-2005—Ancient texts related to Shaivism –Agamas hymns ,local temple legends. It also includes Siddha medical knowledge. Date book to 6th century CE till colonial era. It is preversed in Pondicherry by French Institutes.—3 Rigveda-2007.Oldest known version exists today –Shaakala Shakha. It contains 10,552 mantras in 10 mandla –books .It is preserved at Bhandarkar Oriental Reserch Institute ,Pune.4—Tarikh-e-Khandan–e Timuriyah-2011.5—It also enlisted Lagukalacharratantra rajatika Vimalaprabha -2011.6—Shantinatha Charitra -2013.7-Gilgit Manuscript 2017.-8-Maitreyavyakarna -2017.—9-Abhinavagupta Manuscripts 2023.-10 –Ramcharitmanas 2024. 11-Panchtantra -2024.—12 –Sahrdayaloka –Locana 2024.and recently the inclusion of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita-2025 and Bharat Munis Natyashastra2025 which is 13th and 14th inclusion in UNESCO’s Register of Memories. Bhagvad Gita is a sacred Hindu scripture-conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna at the battle ground. It is part of Mahabharata and contains 700 verses. It discusses action, devotion ,and inner wisdom. It influenced Indian thought deeply.
Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra is the oldest book on Indian performing drama,dance and music. It is still followed by classical performers. It is a fundamental text in Indian aesthetics. The inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in the Memory of the World Register puts stress on their global relevance .These texts have been translated into numerous languages and studied worldwide. Their philosophical insights and artistic principles continues to inspire scholars , artists, and spiritual seekers across cultures. To conclude it can be said that a foreign authority ,thinker and writer Ashburn had said many years ago ,’’Burn all libraries of the world ,for their essence is in Bhagvad Gita’’ So great is the importance and relevance of this great treatise of the world and rightly it has been given due recognition by the UNESCO.

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