In a landmark moment celebrating India’s rich cultural and philosophical heritage, manuscripts of the Hindu texts Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra have been added to UNESCO’s prestigious Memory of the World Register.
The announcement, made on 17 April 2025, recognises 74 new documentary heritage collections from 72 countries and four international organisations, bringing the total number of inscriptions to 570.
The inclusion of these two iconic Hindu texts has been hailed as a proud and historic achievement. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X on Friday, called it “a proud moment for every Indian across the world.”
“The inclusion of the Gita and Natyashastra in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register is a global recognition of our timeless wisdom and rich culture. These texts have nurtured civilisation and consciousness for centuries. Their insights continue to inspire the world,” PM Modi wrote.
The Bhagavad Gita, a revered spiritual text, and the Natyashastra, a foundational treatise on performing arts, are widely regarded as cornerstones of India’s civilisational ethos.
India’s Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, describing the recognition as “a historic moment for Bharat’s civilisational heritage.”
“These timeless works are more than literary treasures—they are philosophical and aesthetic foundations that have shaped Bharat’s worldview and the way we think, feel, live, and express,” Shekhawat posted on X, also sharing images of the manuscripts.
With the addition of these two manuscripts, India now has 14 documentary heritage entries in UNESCO’s international register, which aims to safeguard the world’s most valuable and at-risk archival holdings.
The newly inscribed collections also include entries that highlight the Scientific Revolution, the role of women in shaping history, and milestones in multilateral diplomacy.
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