India’s Cultural Heritage Gaining Global Recognition: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India’s cultural heritage is receiving growing international recognition, with its music, dance, cinema and cuisine continuing to strengthen connections with societies across the world.

In a written message to participants of the Brihattar Bharat: International Conference on Bharat’s Cultural Connections Across the Globe, Modi highlighted the government’s efforts to preserve the country’s cultural legacy. The three-day conference is being held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi from October 14 to 16.

The Prime Minister said that the government’s efforts extend beyond preserving historical monuments to safeguarding India’s manuscript heritage through the Gyan Bharatam initiative. He also noted that efforts to bring back antiquities from foreign countries have gained renewed momentum, reflecting the growing importance being given to protecting and restoring India’s cultural treasures.

Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal read out Modi’s message during the inaugural session of the conference. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also present at the event.

The conference is being organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) under the Ministry of Culture. It focuses on India’s cultural legacy and its wider civilisational heritage beyond national borders.

The event has brought together delegates, ambassadors and scholars from various countries to discuss India’s historical and contemporary cultural connections with the wider world. The discussions are expected to highlight the influence of Indian traditions and cultural practices across different societies.

The conference also marks the centenary of the Greater India Society, also known as the Brihattar Bharat Parishad. The organisation was established in then-Calcutta on October 14, 1926, by a generation of Indian scholars, with Rabindranath Tagore serving as its spiritual guide.

The centenary provides an opportunity to revisit the historical efforts to understand and promote India’s cultural links with other parts of the world, while highlighting the continuing relevance of its civilisational heritage.