Bhubaneswar, Mar 31: Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's apex cultural body under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India has listed Rath Yatra of Puri and Bali Jatra of Odisha in its "National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage".

Experts have viewed that the inclusion of the two rich cultuaral events in the national list has paved the way for availing Unesco status to the two age-old cultural events.

While Bali Yatra is celebrated every year in the month of Kartika to mark the rich maritime trade history of Odisha, Rath Yatra is an annual sojourn of Lord Jagannath and His siblings- Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to their birthplace, Shreegundicha Temple, 3km from Shreemandir in Puri.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has many times talked about Bali Yatra at international forums.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Tourism & Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for including Odisha' two cultural entities in the "National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage" list.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also hailed the move. "This is a proud moment for every Odia, and we look forward to their well-deserved recognition on UNESCO ’s global stage," CM Mohan Charan Majhi wrote on his X handle.

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