India's Literary Treasures Join UNESCO's Memory of the World Register

India has achieved a remarkable milestone as three of its significant manuscripts—the Mahabharata, Rajatarangini, and Arthashastra—have been inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. This recognition not only honors India's rich literary and philosophical traditions but also elevates its historical contributions on a global scale. The announcement, made by PIB Culture, highlights the role of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in this achievement. With this addition, India's total inscriptions in the Regional Register now stand at six, marking a significant acknowledgment of its civilizational heritage.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 5, 2026, 22:20 IST

Significant Recognition for Indian Manuscripts

New Delhi: The epic Mahabharata, Kalhana’s 12th-century historical work Rajatarangini, and Kautilya’s Arthashastra, which focuses on governance, have been officially added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, as announced by officials on Thursday.

The announcement was made via a post on X by PIB Culture, which included images of the UNESCO certificates. They expressed, “A moment of immense pride for India! The Rajatarangini, Mahabharata, and Arthashastra have been inscribed in @UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, marking a historic milestone in the global recognition of India’s rich civilisational heritage!”

This decision was reached during the 11th Session of the Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) played a crucial role in preparing the nomination dossiers for these three significant works.

With this new recognition, India's historical, literary, philosophical, and political contributions gain broader international acknowledgment, bringing the total number of inscriptions in the Regional Register to six. This achievement signifies a substantial international recognition of India's civilizational heritage and intellectual traditions.