Kumbh Mela enters UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity

Kumbh Mela enters UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity
Kumbh Mela which is held once every 12 years has been recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO on Thursday.
The Kumbh Mela is held in Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nashik
The inclusion of the Kumbh in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity was done during the ongoing session of the committee's meeting in South Korea. The inscription of Kumbh is the third in two years after the addition of Yoga and the Parsi festival Nouroz on December 2016.
The culture ministry, which expressed happiness over the inclusion of Kumbh in the list, said the inscription of Kumbh Mela was recommended by the expert body after it observed that it is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, and that it represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship and ritual cleansing in holy rivers in India.
The committee also noted that knowledge and skills related to the Kumbh are transmitted through the 'Guru-Shishyaparampara parampara', which ensures the continuity and viability of this festival in perpetuity.
In 2003, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage as an international treaty acknowledging that cultural heritage is more than tangible places, monuments and objects, and that it also encompasses traditions and living expressions.