"Garba has become global": Gujarat Home Minster Harsh Sanghavi on Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], December 6 : Gujarat Home Minster Harsh Sanghavi on Wednesday said that Gujarat's vibrant Garba dance has achieved global recognition as UNESCO officially declares it an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Harsh Sanghavi celebrates this milestone, stating, "Garba has become global. Today, Gujarat's Garba has reached across the country and the world... It is a day of pride for every citizen. The identity of Gujaratis is Garba, and today Garba has got global recognition."
Earlier in the day, Garba, the famed traditional dance form of Gujarat was declared as an Intangible Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, UNESCO posted, "New inscription on the Intangible Heritage List: Garba of Gujarat, India. Congratulations!"
The decision was made during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, underway at the Cresta Mowana Resort in Kasane, Botswana.
Garba is a ritualistic and devotional dance that is performed on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Navaratri.
The dance takes place around a perforated earthenware pot lit with an oil lamp, or an image of the mother goddess Amba.
Participating dancers move around the centre in a counter-clockwise circle, using simple movements while singing and clapping their hands in unison.
Intangible cultural heritage is the practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and sometimes individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.