KATHMANDU: The government has forwarded necessary process for enlisting the intangible cultural heritages for the first time in Nepal.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation started activities for enlisting such cultural heritages by issuing the procedure. Similarly, a process has been forwarded to make act as there is no any act related to intangible cultural heritages.

Head of Cultural Division of the Ministry, Dr Suresh Suras Shrestha, shared that they have already called for application for enlisting such heritages. Such heritages should be enlisted as per the UNESCO Convention, 2003.

Only physical properties are enlisted in the World Heritage Site. Dr Shrestha mentioned, “A process to enlist intangible cultural heritages has been forwarded thinking it will be important basis to enlist it in UNSECO. It is preliminary practice for the same.”

Issuing Intangible Cultural Heritages (Inventory and Management) Procedure, 2081, the Cultural Division asked application for enlisting. The last date of Baisakh, 2082 has been determined as the deadline for application.

Intangible cultural heritages means oral traditions and expressions, acting and art, social manners, rites and rituals, procession, festivals and knowledge related to nature and universe of ethnic groups of Nepal transferred and practiced from one generation to another generation, reads the procedure.

Similarly, traditional art, skills and technology of production, traditional games, food items, customs, knowledge about ornaments, are also included as intangible cultural heritage.