UN lists Gwalior as 'city of Music' in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network

On the foundation day of Madhya Pradesh, the city of Gwalior bagged a place in the prestigious UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Gwalior was categorised as the “city of music” in the coveted list released by the UN Body. It is a city which has produced great musicians like Beju Bawara and Tansen and where the Scindia gharana has propelled and preserved the art of local music for centuries.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia had vouched for Gwalior’s inclusion in the esteemed list in the month of June earlier this year, when he wrote a letter to UNESCO explaining the rich culture of Gwalior.

Scindia talking about the historic development said, “On the foundation day of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior has achieved a remarkable feat. It is a historic day. This development will showcase the potential of Madhya Pradesh on a global platform.”

Scindia also thanked Madhya Pradesh Tourism and Ministry of Culture for collective efforts made for getting Gwalior the must deserved representation in the UN body list.

Meanwhile, Kozhikode, where events like the Kerala Literature Festival and several book festivals, were held was named the 'City of Literature' by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

UNESCO in its statement said, ‘’On World Cities Day, 55 cities join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. New cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning. With the latest additions, the Network now counts 350 cities in more than one hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.''

The newly-designated Creative Cities are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference (July 1-5, 2024) in Braga, Portugal, under the theme “Bringing Youth to the table for the next decade.”