Durga Puja included in UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List
Highlight
- UNESCO has included Durga Puja in its Intangible Heritage List
- PM Modi took ‘a lot of pride and joy’ in the development.
- Denmark’s Inuit drum dance and Finland’s Kaustinen fiddle were also included.
Celebrated mainly in Kolkata, apart from other parts of India, Durga Puja has been inscribed in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The festival is characterized by large-scale installations and pavilions in urban areas as well as traditional Bengali drumming and worship of the goddess.
Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pride in including the festival in the list. He wrote, “It is a matter of great pride and joy for every Indian! Durga Puja exemplifies our traditions and ethos. And, Kolkata’s Durga Puja is an experience that everyone should have.”
UNESCO described the festival, saying, “During the event (Durga Puja), divisions of class, religion and ethnicity are broken down as hordes of spectators move around to admire the establishments.”
Denmark’s Inuit drum dancing and Finland’s Kaustinen fiddle were also included in the list.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also expressed happiness. “Proud moment for Bengal! For every #Bengali across the world, Durga Puja is much more than a festival, it’s a spirit that unites all. And now, #DurgaPuja is recognized as one of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The representative has been added to the list. We are all jumping with joy!” He tweeted.
The Culture Ministry also took to the microblogging platform to extend its best wishes to the residents of the city on this achievement.
“Glad that ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Many congratulations! It is the amalgamation of the rich heritage and culture of the county’s arts, crafts, rituals and practices. Jai Maa Durga !” The ministry wrote.
The State Information and Cultural Affairs Department in Bengal issued a statement to congratulate the people of the state as well as the country.
“The 16th Committee of UNESCO for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has inscribed Durga Puja in Kolkata in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at its meeting held in Paris on 15 December 2021,” it said.
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