UNESCO Masterpieces Proclamation Programme and Safeguarding Strategies for Intangible Cultural Heritage: A View from India

Abstract

Three Indian heritage expressions—Kutiyattam, the Oral Tradition of the Vedas and Ramlila—were among a select few from across the world that were proclaimed as ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO in 2001, 2003 and 2005 respectively. It was for the first time that UNESCO had instituted a programme of Proclamation of Masterpieces relating to living cultural traditions and this paved the way for the establishment of a UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003. In the context of my involvement in the preparation of the nomination dossiers of the three expressions, and subsequently, in the development of an action plan for the revitalization of these exceptional yet endangered forms of living heritage, the article tries to understand the implications of such an international acclaim and its impact on the community that fosters them.