Jaishankar to be chief guest at inaugural ceremony of UNESCO meet on protecting intangible heritage

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) The inaugural ceremony of the upcoming key meeting of UNESCO on safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage will take place at the Red Fort here on December 7 and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the event as a chief guest, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday.

He was interacting with reporters ahead of the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) will take place from December 8 to 13 at the Red Fort.

This is the first time that India will host a session of the UNESCO panel.

"The inaugural ceremony of the UNESCO meet will be held on December 7 evening. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the ceremony," Union Culture Minister Shekhawat said at a press conference held at the Red Fort premises here.

Besides Union ministers Shekhawat and Jaishankar, Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El-Enany; Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to the UNESCO Vishal V Sharma are expected to attend the opening ceremony at the Red Fort premises, it is learnt.

Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal later told PTI that India's nomination, the "Deepavali" festival, will be examined during the UNESCO meet, "on December 10, in pursuance of its inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".

"And we expect a positive outcome," he said.

The dossier for the nomination was submitted in 2023. India has sent the nomination for the 2024-25 cycle.

India currently has 15 elements inscribed on the coveted UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and these include the Kumbh Mela, the Durga Puja in Kolkata, the Garba dance of Gujarat, yoga, the tradition of Vedic chanting and Ramlila -- the traditional performance of the epic Ramayana.

Aggarwal said "over 1,000 delegates from 190 countries" are expected to attend this event.

The rich art and cultural heritage of India will be showcased through site museum galleries, artefacts, state emporia and performance arts, he said.

"We are also considering if the galleries and performances can remain open for view for another one month for general visitors after the closure of the session on December 13," Aggarwal said.

According to UNESCO, the session will examine the nominations submitted by state parties for inscription on the UNESCO ICH lists, review the status of the existing elements and provide international assistance for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

The session will be chaired by Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO Vishal V Sharma.

A senior official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had, on November 28, said the 17th-century fort complex will be closed from December 5 to 14 in view of the event.

Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the palace fort of his capital Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a centrally protected monument.

Some of the British-era barracks located on the premises of the iconic monument will also be used as part of the mega event, another official said. PTI KND KSS KSS