The most authoritative Hindu scriptures are called shruti, “that which is heard.” Texts of the second rank are smriti, “that which is remembered.” The Vedas are the core of shruti. Traditions of Vedic chant are “often considered the oldest unbroken oral tradition in existence.”
UNESCO first proclaimed the tradition of Vedic chanting a masterpiece of oral heritage in 2003. It inscribed it on its list of intangible heritage in 2008.