Bhubaneswar, July 26 -- The Puri Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on Sunday urged the Centre and the Odisha Government to initiate the process of securing UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for Lord Jagannath's world-famous Rath Yatra, describing the centuries-old festival as a living tradition of universal significance.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the annual chariot festival, INTACH Puri Chapter Convener Subas Chandra Rath said that although India has 16 cultural elements inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the nearly 800-year-old Rath Yatra is yet to receive global recognition.
He said the festival represents a...