Rūkada Nūtya first from Lanka to be on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Rūkada Nātya, the traditional string puppet drama of Sri Lanka, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity yesterday at the 13th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage yesterday in Port Louis, Republic of Mauritius. 

UNESCO New Delhi Director Eric Falt reacted to the decision saying: “I offer warm congratulations to the Government of Sri Lanka and all the stakeholders involved in preparing the nomination dossier for this inscription. This is Sri Lanka’s first-ever element on the intangible list of UNESCO and I am sure there will be more, given the country’s rich cultural heritage”.

Rūkada Nātya is a string puppet drama traditionally connected to those of the Gamwari lineage in the Southern coastal part of Sri Lanka. It is also performed by puppet groups who have learnt the art from the Gamwari masters.

By inscribing it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Intergovernmental Committee wished to recognise the significance of this living performative tradition to transmit this knowledge to new generations, since themes are drawn from folktales, Buddhist stories, ancient literature, historical narratives, as well as anecdotes from contemporary life. It further recognised that this cultural element is valuable for creating a vibrant community life and encouraging social bonds, since performances are open to all and held at public spaces primarily during festive seasons.

UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage aims at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, including through identification, documentation, promotion, transmission, and revitalisation of such heritage.