Proud Moment for India as Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Rajatarangini Manuscripts Added to UNESCO Memory Register

New Delhi: Manuscripts of three of India’s most significant classical works -- the epic Mahabharata, Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Kalhana’s Rajatarangini -- have been inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.

The announcement was made by the Press Information Bureau’s Culture handle on X, which also shared photographs of the UNESCO certificates. In its post, PIB Culture described the development as “a moment of immense pride for India,” noting that the inscription of the Rajatarangini, Mahabharata and Arthashastra marks “a historic milestone in the global recognition of India’s rich civilisational heritage.”

The Mahabharata is one of the world’s longest epic poems and a foundational text of Indian literature and philosophy. The Arthashastra, attributed to the ancient scholar Kautilya, is a comprehensive treatise on governance, statecraft, economics and military strategy. Rajatarangini, composed by the 12th-century Kashmiri historian Kalhana, is a celebrated chronicle of the kings of Kashmir and an important work of early Indian historiography.

Their inclusion in the regional register highlights the enduring global value of these manuscripts as part of humanity’s documentary heritage.