UNESCO Tag Proposal for Puri Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra

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The Chief Minister of Odisha has requested the central government to nominate the famous Puri Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra for the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) prepared this proposal to seek official recognition from UNESCO for the annual chariot festival in Puri.
This proposal presents the festival as a living civilisational tradition that displays India's spiritual depth, traditional crafts, performing arts, and social unity.

Ancient Hindu texts like the Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, and Kapila Samhita describe this holy festival in detail.
European travellers recorded accounts of this festival starting from the 13th century, with detailed written records appearing from the 17th century onwards.
Devotees celebrate this festival every year during the Shukla Paksha phase of the Hindu lunar month of Ashadha, which falls in June or July.

Artisans construct three massive wooden chariots every year named Nandighosha for Lord Jagannath, Taladhwaja for Lord Balabhadra, and Darpadalana for Goddess Subhadra, using Phassi and Dhausa timber brought from Dasapalla near the Mahanadi River.
Hereditary guilds of traditional craftspeople including Maharanas or carpenters, blacksmiths, painters, and tailors build the chariots following traditional Shilpa Shastras rules.
Servitors carry the three deities out of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple during the Pahandi Bije procession and place them on chariots along the Bada Danda avenue before devotees pull them to the Gundicha Temple.
The deities stay at the Gundicha Temple for 7 days before taking their return journey called Bahuda Rath Yatra, where they stop at the Mausi Maa Temple to taste the traditional Podo Pitha sweet.

Receiving a formal UNESCO tag will boost global recognition, strengthen cultural diplomacy, and enhance heritage conservation efforts for the chariot festival.
This recognition helps preserve ancient temple carpentry skills, traditional textile arts, Odissi Kirtan, and community-driven cultural practices for future generations.