Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has started the process of nominating the annual Ratha Yatra for UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to reports, the SJTA is preparing the required documents to submit to the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the official agency that handles such nominations.
The Ratha Yatra is a significant festival at the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple. It celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Odisha and India.
The goal is to get global recognition for the festival and highlight its importance on the world stage.
SJTA Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee expressed pride in beginning the process of seeking UNESCO recognition for the Ratha Yatra. He highlighted that this effort aims to demonstrate the cultural significance of the festival to the world.
Dr. Padhee visited Delhi recently, where he met with senior officials from the Union Ministry of Culture and other key people to discuss the nomination. The process involves gathering detailed information about the festival’s traditions and cultural practices.
Every year, the Ratha Yatra brings thousands of devotees from all over the world to Puri. One of the unique features of the festival is that it allows Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, to travel out of Their temple and offer darshan to followers of different faiths.
