Moves To Get UNESCO ‘Intangible Heritage’ Tag For Puri Ratha Jatra In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has initiated steps for getting Intangible Cultural Heritage tag of the UNESCO for the world famous Ratha Jatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri.

According to reports, the department of Odia Language Literature & Culture recently wrote to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to constitute an advisory committee for filing a nomination for the purpose.

To get the Intangible Heritage status, the UNESCO has issued guidelines under which the state government will have to submit a nomination paper.

Earlier, a letter was sent by the Culture department to the world body for the coveted tag last year. However, a detailed nomination will be filed this year and the designated advisory committee will be entrusted the work of preparing the nomination papers, they said.

Efforts in this direction are already being made and SJTA has held a meeting in this regard. The proposed advisory committee is likely to have seven members.

The draft nomination would include video clips on rituals usually performed during the sojourn of the sibling deities during the annual festival. The rituals will include Akshaya Tritiya, Chandan Jatra, Anabasar, Ratha Jatra and Niladri Bije.

Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra move out of the 12th Century shrine on their nine-day annual sojourn to Gundicha temple. Lakhs of devotees from across the world throng the seaside pilgrim town to witness the grand event.

The ‘car festival’ is also being celebrated in different parts of the country and abroad.

Over 40 festivals, including two of Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, have got the UNESCO Intangible Heritage tag so far.