New Delhi: Four iconic traditional cultural practices of Odisha — Mayurbhanj Chhau Dance, Odissi, Cuttack’s Bali Jatra and Puri’s Rath Yatra — have been included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha. The traditions were identified and added through the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the nodal institution under the Ministry of Culture responsible for maintaining the inventory of India’s intangible cultural heritage. Chhau Dance itself, encompassing the Mayurbhanj style along with those from Seraikela and Purulia, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, further elevating recognition of Odisha’s cultural contributions. Odissi, one of India’s classical dance forms with deep roots in the state’s temple traditions, continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Notably, the only intangible heritage element in UNESCO from Odisha is Mayurbhanj’s Chhau dance, which was inscribed in 2010 along with two other styles of it from Saraikela and Purulia.