Relevance: GS Paper I

News Excerpt:

Kozhikode in Kerala has been designated as the UNESCO 'City of Literature' and Gwalior as the 'City of Music' in the latest UNESCO list of Creative Cities Network.

About:

• The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (Estd 2004) is a global initiative that recognizes cities for their commitment to using culture and creativity as catalysts for sustainable development.
• 55 new cities from all over the world were acknowledged by UNESCO for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and displaying innovative practices in human-centered urban planning. 
• With the latest additions, the Network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries and represents seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. 

Kozhikode (Kerala) as a 'City of Literature':

• The journey towards this prestigious recognition - 'City of Literature' commenced in 2022 with a proposal initiated by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration. 
• Upon receiving enthusiastic support, the Kozhikode Corporation formed a collaborative partnership with Charles University in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. 
• Notably, Prague was the first city to be honored with the title of 'City of Literature' by UNESCO in 2014.
• Kozhikode, known for its literary vibrancy, is a permanent venue for the annual Kerala Literature Festival and hosts numerous other book festivals. This recognition solidifies its status as a hub for literary enthusiasts

Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) as the 'City of Music':

• Gwalior, the city that gave the world the legendary musician Tansen, has been bestowed with the prestigious title of "City of Music" by UNESCO. This honor is a befitting tribute to the city's rich musical heritage.
• About Tansen:
  • Previously, Tansen was a court musician during the reign of Raja Ramachandra of Bandhavgarh (Rewa). 
  • When Akbar heard of his prodigious talent, he sent a 'Farman' to the king asking for Tansen and made him one of the Navaratnas in his court. 
  • He gave him the title of 'Mian'. 
  • Tansen is also known as the 'Sangit Samrat'. 

• Gwalior Gharana, one of the oldest Hindustani musical Gharanas, is believed to have originated in this very place, solidifying its status as the birthplace of this iconic musical style. 
• In Hindustani music, a gharana is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style.
• The Scindias, the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, have diligently preserved and propagated music for centuries, adding to the city's musical legacy.

Way Forward:

The heritage sites help us understand our own ancient culture. Heritage tourism is huge and helps drive the economy of several communities. This also helps people from other parts of the world understand and learn from our culture. Preserving and properly promoting India’s rich intangible cultural heritage by inventorizing and documenting oral traditions, indigenous knowledge systems, guru-shishya systems is need of the hour to preserve our global identity. 

PYQs:

1. Safeguarding the Indian art heritage is the need of the moment. Comment (2018)
2. Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss. (2019)
3. To what extent globalisation has influenced the core of cultural diversity in India? Explain. (2016)