After Durga puja, will Dasara get UNESCO honour?

By Shilpa P | NT

Mysuru: With Durga Puja getting included in UNESCO’s ‘representative list of intangible and cultural heritage of humanity’ in December last year, the state department of heritage, archaeology and museums, based in Mysuru is gearing up to come up with a proposal to get the world famous Mysuru Dasara which has 411 years of history, into the heritage list.

Speaking to News Trail, commissioner, department of heritage, archaeology and museums, Ms Poornima B R, said that after discussions with the tourism secretariat, they will take steps to get the required budget allocation for the purpose. They are also planning to get in touch with the authorities of the archaeology department in Kolkata to discuss the parameters adopted to get Durga Puja included the list.

Once the dossier is prepared, it will be submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India. After the ASI approves it, it will be submitted to UNESCO, she said. She added that the department has already submitted the final dossier for Somnathpura of Mysuru district and Beluru, Halebeedu of Hassan district, to UNESCO in September last year and the final dossier of the Deccan Sultanate of Bidar and Gulbarga region in November last year. UNESCO officials are yet to do the field visit. The final dossier on Srirangpatna is getting ready and it will be submitted to ASI shortly, Ms Poornmia said.

So far Hampi and Pattada Kallu are the only historic sites from Karnataka to be included in UNESCO’s World heritage site list.