Preserving the Intangible: Sanjhi Art at Kausalyam 2026

Preserving such intangible cultural heritage is essential for maintaining the diversity of India’s artistic landscape. Unlike tangible heritage, which includes monuments and artifacts, intangible heritage—such as traditional craftsmanship—is highly vulnerable to the forces of globalization and modernization. Initiatives like Kausalyam play a vital role in the 'living heritage' framework, ensuring that traditional knowledge systems are passed down to future generations. By integrating these crafts into modern design and retail, there is a potential to create sustainable livelihoods for rural artisans, thereby preventing the extinction of these unique cultural expressions. UPSC Relevance: This topic is highly relevant for GS Paper I (Indian Culture) as it pertains to the preservation of traditional art forms and the challenges faced by intangible cultural heritage in modern India. Aspirants can use this as a case study in answers related to the 'Salient aspects of Art Forms' or when discussing the impact of globalization on traditional Indian crafts and the need for state-led cultural promotion policies.