Protection And Promotion Of Indian Culture And Heritage

**Chhau dance** - Chhau is a traditional Indian dance-drama form originating from eastern India, primarily in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It has three styles: **Seraikella Chhau (Jharkhand), Mayurbhanj Chhau (Odisha) and Purulia Chhau (West Bengal)**. Chhau dance got inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in the year **2010**.  _Please Note: Chhau is basically a mask dance. However, Mayurbhanj Chhau is the only one which is performed without a mask._ **Durga Puja (West Bengal)** - It is an annual Hindu festival particularly significant in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and other parts of India. Durga Puja was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in the year **2021.** **Garba Dance (Gujarat)** - has been inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO, under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 18th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from 5th -9th December 2023 in Kasane, Botswana. **Kumbh Mela** - Kumbh Mela is a major Hindu pilgrimage and festival celebrated at four sites: Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and Nashik (Maharashtra). The Kumbh Mela was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in the year **2017.**

Out of the four sites listed, two were included in the World Heritage List (WHS) in 2023: Shantiniketan and Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas. While Rani-ki-Vav was added to the WHS list in 2014 and the Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya in 2002. * **Shantiniketan:** It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore's father, **Maharshi Debendranath Tagore**, in 1863 as a spiritual retreat. Shantiniketan was further expanded by **Rabindranath Tagore** into **Visva-Bharati University** in 1921, emphasizing the fusion of traditional Indian and modern Western education. * **Rani ki Vav:** It was built in the 11th century CE by **Queen Udayamati** of the **Solanki dynasty** in Patan, Gujarat, as a memorial to her husband, King Bhimdev I. It is an exceptional example of stepwell design. * **Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas:** These were built during the 12th-13th centuries CE under the patronage of the Hoysala dynasty, centered in Karnataka. Hoysala temples are characterized by **star-shaped platforms (jagatis).** Some of the renowned temples are **Chennakeshava Temple** (Belur), **Hoysaleswara Temple** (Halebidu), and **Keshava Temple** (Somanathapura). * **Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya:** It was built during the reign of **Emperor Ashoka** in the 3rd century BCE at the site where **Gautama Buddha** attained **enlightenment** under the Bodhi tree.