Context: Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), during its 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Botswana, officially added Gujarat's iconic Garba dance to its esteemed Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage(ICH) of Humanity.

• The Garba dance form is the 15th cultural item from India to make it to the UNESCO list. Kolkata’s Durga Puja was the last one added in 2021.

About Garba

• Garba is a ritualistic and devotional dance dedicated to the worship of feminine energy or 'Shakti.'

• It is the longest dance festival performed in the world (9 days of Navaratri).

• It is mainly performed during the Hindu festival of Navaratri or Navratra.

• It fosters equality by transcending socio-economic, gender, and religious structures.

• It includes diverse and marginalized communities, and hence helps strengthening social bonds.

• Garba actually refers to “Garbha deep” - an earthen pot with holes, in which a lamp is lit and women dance around it in circular movements with rhythmic clapping.

• Its practitioners include dancers, musicians, social groups, craftspeople, and religious figures.

• Musicians often includes- dholak, dhol, shehnai, cymbals, harmonium etc.

How Garba is performed?

• The dance takes place around a perforated earthenware pot lit with an oil lamp or an image of the mother goddess Amba. 

• The dance begins with slow circular movements to let the tempo slowly build up to a frenzied whirling. 

• The dancers wearing colourful dresses, move around the centre in a counter-clockwise circle.

• Simple dance steps including hoping and clapping hands in unison.

About the UNESCO ICH of Humanity

• It is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage.

• It includes intangible heritage consists of nonphysical intellectual wealth, such as folklore, customs, beliefs, traditions, knowledge, and language.

• The UNESCO established its Lists of ICH with the aim of ensuring better protection of important ICH worldwide and the awareness of their significance.

• It is published by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of ICH.

• Its members are elected by State Parties meeting in a General Assembly.

• Using different oral and intangible heritage of humankind worldwide, the programme aims to draw attention to the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage.

• UNESCO has identified this as an essential component and as a repository of cultural diversity and of creative expression.

• It was established in 2008 when the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage took effect.

Other key facts

• 14 other elements from India are also inscripted to UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH which includes Ramlila, yoga, Kutiyattam, Kalbelia folk songs, Chhau dance, etc.