UNESCO Recognises Mahabharata, Arthashastra, and Rajatarangini

In a significant cultural milestone, UNESCO has included manuscripts of the Mahabharata, the Rajatarangini, and the Arthashastra in its Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. This recognition highlights the importance of these ancient texts in reflecting India's rich historical and philosophical legacy.

The announcement was made by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Culture on social media platform X. The decision to inscribe these works was made during the 11th Session of the Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, as confirmed by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed pride in this achievement, affirming that it marks a landmark recognition of India's exceptional documentary heritage. He stated, "These timeless works embody our rich traditions of historical inquiry, philosophical thought, and statecraft, whose wisdom continues to inspire humanity."

The recognised manuscripts include the 'Birch-bark Manuscript of Mahabharata' housed at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, 'Kautilya's Arthashastra, Ancient palm-leaf Manuscript on Governance and Statecraft’ at the Oriental Research Institute in Mysuru, and 'The Manuscript of Rajatarangini by Kalhana: A Twelfth-century Chronicle of Kashmir’ located at the Oriental Research Library, Sri Pratap Singh Library Complex in Srinagar.

This recognition adds to India's growing presence in UNESCO's cultural heritage registers, bringing the total number of inscriptions in the regional register to six. Previous inscriptions include renowned works such as the illustrated manuscripts of the Ramcharitamanas and a 15th-century manuscript of the Panchatantra.

Officials remarked that these inscriptions recognise India's knowledge traditions, which have contributed to the understanding of history, ethics, philosophy, and governance. With this latest announcement, India's intellectual heritage gains wider acknowledgement at an international level, reinforcing its cultural significance in the global context.