Lai Haraoba in National inventory
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 05 2025: Lai Haraoba has been listed in the National inventory for inscription in the UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.

The representative list of ICH as uploaded in the official website https://indiaich-sna.in/national-inventory places Lai Haraoba in the 50th position.

The 50th position occupied by Lai Haraoba is not based on merit.

Lai Haraoba or any other element may be listed next year for inclusion in the UNESCO's Representative List of ICH .

This was stated by eminent filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma who is also a member of the Preparatory Committee formed by the State Government for inclusion of Lai Haraoba in UNESCO's ICH List.

Speaking to media persons at the Directorate of Art and Culture, Konung Lampak, Syam Sharma said that what Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Sekhawat stated in the Lok Sabha on Monday in reply to a question raised by Dr Bimol Akoijam was correct.

He said that the Preparatory Committee was formed in the last part of 2023 under the Art and Culture Department.

The committee sent a nomination dossier to Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's nodal implementing agency on October 14, 2024 .

Apart from describing Lai Haraoba and its centrality in the culture, tradition and religious faith of the Manipur (Meiteis) within the word limit of 150, the nomination dossier was attached with documentation, videos and photographs, he said.

This process required exhaustive study and it was time consuming.

Moreover, Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup, Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board, Shree Shree Govindajee Temple Board and other stakeholders must be consulted and their approval obtained, Syam Sharma said.

Submission of an element for inclusion in the UNESCO's ICH list cannot be done by the Government directly.

For India, Sangeet Natak Akademi is the implementing agency, he said.

Until and unless, Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises an element as a National inventory, the element cannot be sent to UNESCO.

Nonetheless, Manipur's Sankirtan was included in the UNESCO's ICH list in 2014, he continued.

Moreover, UNESCO usually approves only one element from a country in two years.

For 2024-25, India has nominated Deepavali festival for possible inscription in the UNESCO's Representative List of ICH .

The same nomination will be considered during the 20th International Committee meeting of UNESCO which would be held at New Delhi in December this year, Syam Sharma said.

India has not yet nominated any element for 2026-27 .

"Lai Haraoba has high merits and we believe Sangeet Natak Akademi will consider it", he said.

After Lai Haraoba, another committee has been formed to put Thang-Ta in the National inventory, Syam Sharma mentioned.

Art & Culture Commissioner H Gyan Prakash, Director K Dinamani and other officials were also present at the press meet.

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