Durga Puja inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list
Highlights
- UNESCO included Durga Puja in its Intangible Heritage List
- PM Modi took 'great pride and joy' in the development.
- Denmark's Inuit drum dancing and Finland's Kaustinen fiddle playing were also included.
Durga Puja, primarily celebrated in Kolkata apart from other parts of India, has been inscribed on 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 by traditional Bengali drumming and veneration of the goddess.
Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pride over the festival's inclusion in the list. He wrote, "A matter of great pride and joy for every Indian! Durga Puja highlights the best of our traditions and ethos. And, Kolkata’s Durga Puja is an experience everyone must-have."
"During the event (Durga Puja), the divides of class, religion and ethnicities collapse as crowds of spectators walk around to admire the installations", UNESCO described the festival.
Denmark's Inuit drum dancing and Finland's Kaustinen fiddle playing were also included in the list.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also expressed her happiness. "Proud moment for Bengal! To every #Bengali across the world, Durga Puja is much more than a festival, it is an emotion that unites everyone. And now, #DurgaPuja has been added to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. We are all beaming with joy!" she tweeted.
The Ministry of Culture, too, took to the microblogging platform to extend its wishes to the residents of the city on this achievement.
"Overjoyed that 'Durga Puja in Kolkata' joins the @UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Many congratulations! It is a confluence of the rich heritage and culture of the county’s art, crafts, rituals, and practices. Jai Maa Durga!" the ministry wrote.
The department of state information and cultural affairs in Bengal issued a statement to congratulate the people of the state as well as the country.
"The 16th Committee of UNESCO for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in its meeting held on 15th December 2021 in Paris has inscribed Durga puja in Kolkata on the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity," it said.
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