To document the cultural heritage of the country and to encourage research and catalogue India’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), the National Museum Institute (NMI) has started documenting age-old human treasures in performing and fine arts. Pilot projects have been launched in western Uttar Pradesh and of Ladakh. The NMI has initiated the task of developing ICH records from across India. “We have started listing the elements of cultural heritage of these two regions. They will be the models for other such studies,” said Venu V, director-general of National Museum. India’s vast ICH includes traditions inherited from ancestors, social practices, rituals and festivals.