**Policy Summary:**
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), under the Ministry of Culture, is hosting a two-day National Symposium titled "Timeless Texts and Universal Teachings: Inscription of Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register" on July 30th and 31st, 2025, in New Delhi. The symposium commemorates the inscription of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra into the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register.
The inaugural session will take place on July 30th, 2025, at 4:00 PM at the Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, with Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, as the Chief Guest and Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President of the IGNCA Trust, as the chair. Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj and Dr. Sonal Mansingh will be the Guests of Honour. Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, will deliver the opening address, and Prof. Dr. Ramesh C. Gaur, Incharge of the UNESCO MoW Nodal Centre and Dean Administration, IGNCA, will deliver the welcome address and introduction.
The valedictory session is scheduled for July 31st, 2025, at 5:00 PM at the Samvet Auditorium, IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi. Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, will attend as Chief Guest, and Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, will be the Guest of Honour. Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi will chair the session, and Prof. Dr. Ramesh C. Gaur will present the welcome address and a summary of the deliberations.
The symposium aims to convene scholars, cultural thinkers, and heritage professionals to discuss the enduring relevance of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in contemporary global discourse.
For further information, contact Sunil Kumar Tiwari at pubcultureatgmaildotcom.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The Indian governmental ministry hosting the symposium through IGNCA.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA): The primary organizing body hosting the symposium.
Bhagavad Gita: One of the two foundational Indian texts being commemorated for its inscription in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register.
Natyashastra: One of the two foundational Indian texts being commemorated for its inscription in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register.
UNESCO Memory of the World International Register: The UNESCO program under which the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra were inscribed.
New Delhi: The location of the symposium in India.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Hon'ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, who will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural session.
Central Sanskrit University: The institution where Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, the Guest of Honour at the valedictory session, serves as Vice Chancellor.
Ministry of Culture
IGNCA to Host Symposium on Gita and
Natyashastra’s UNESCO Recognition
Posted On: 29 JUL 2025 6:27PM by PIB Delhi
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will host a two-day National Symposium
titled ‘Timeless Texts and Universal Teachings: Inscription of Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra in
th st
the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register’ on 30 and 31 July 2025 in New Delhi.
The symposium is being organised to commemorate the inscription of two foundational Indian texts-
the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra-into the prestigious UNESCO Memory of the World
International Register, acknowledging their global significance and enduring relevance.
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The inaugural session will be held on 30 July 2025 at 4:00 PM at the Ambedkar International Centre, New
Delhi. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, will
grace the occasion as Chief Guest. The session will be chaired by Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, Padma Bhushan
awardee and President of the IGNCA Trust. The Guests of Honour will be Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj,
Founder of G.I.E.O. Gita and Gita Gyan Sansthanam, Kurukshetra, and Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Padma
Vibhushan awardee and former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member
Secretary, IGNCA, will deliver the opening address, and Prof. (Dr.) Ramesh C. Gaur, In-charge of the
UNESCO MoW Nodal Centre and Dean (Administration), IGNCA, will deliver the welcome address and
introduction.
st
The valedictory session of the symposium is scheduled for 31 July 2025 at 5:00 PM at the Samvet
Auditorium, IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi. Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government
of India, will attend as Chief Guest, while Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit
University, will be the Guest of Honour. The session will be chaired by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, and Prof.
(Dr.) Ramesh C. Gaur will present the welcome address and a brief summary of the deliberations.
Through this symposium, IGNCA seeks to bring together scholars, cultural thinkers, and heritage
professionals to reflect upon the timeless wisdom embedded in the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra, and to
reaffirm their relevance as living texts in contemporary global discourse.
***
Sunil Kumar Tiwari
pubculture[at]gmail[dot]com
(Release ID: 2149871)